An Eye for an Eye
by JudyL068
Summary: The Sentinel xo with The Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman. A new terrorist group threatens Cascade.


**An Eye for an Eye**

The Sentinel crossover with

The Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman

By JudyL

March 21, 2005

I think my muse likes to take over my brain when I'm asleep. This story was also born in my dreams. Don't ask me why, I've only seen one or two other crossovers with the Six Million Dollar Man. I loved that show when I was growing up. I think Steve Austin was one of my first TV star crushes. This is a stand alone story, I don't plan on creating yet ANOTHER AU. Of course, as busy as my muse seems to be, who knows?

Warnings: This takes place after TSbyBS and as usual follows my Sentinel Universe, Blair's a cop, etc… Oh, and Blair owies, so what else is new? Some profanity also.

In the Six Million Dollar Man Universe, this takes place after the last movie… just assume that time has moved on, so that puts Steve and Jaime in their late fifties, early sixties and married to each other. I also assume that Kate eventually married Oscar's nephew. If you recall the show, Sandra Bullock played Kate. One more thing, I tried to be as accurate as possible with the medical stuff, but… well, you'll see.

Disclaimers: The usual. Don't own any of them. Would like to, but I can't afford it. Feedback is always appreciated.

Also, many thanks to my cousin, Cheryl who is the finder of booboos, fixer of mistakes, and the most patient, wonderful beta ever! G

Jim laughed at his partner as Blair slicked his hair back for the third time and tried to tame it into a ponytail.

"What are you laughing at?" Sandburg asked indignantly as he checked his reflection in the mirror.

"I don't know who you're trying to impress, Chief," Jim chuckled. "The prosecuting attorney is married with three kids. The DA, well," the Sentinel shrugged, "I don't think he swings that way." Jim ducked the hand aimed at the back of his head and continued, "And the judge has to be going on seventy. She's more likely to pinch your cheek and offer you a cookie."

Blair stuck his tongue out at his partner. "You're just jealous," he said raking his hand lightly over the top of Jim's head as he passed him to get his jacket and keys. "Let's get going or we'll be late for court."

Jim rolled his eyes. "Just waiting on you, Fabio."

His Guide flashed him a brilliant grin as they headed out.

"Jim, we waited in line at Mr. Donut for twenty minutes," Blair glanced at his watch again. "Don't you think we could have gotten coffee there? You like their coffee."

The Sentinel scrunched up his nose in disgust. "They were using yesterday's grounds, Chief. Besides, you love the fraps here and we have plenty of time. The courthouse is just across the street."

Blair nodded distractedly as he read the menu trying to decide what he wanted to get. _Jim's right, I do love their frappacinos._

While his partner tried to decide what flavor his poison should be this morning, Jim scanned the area lightly with his senses. Something caught his attention, almost like an electrical charge making the hair on his arms stand up, and then it was gone. Jim shook it off as Blair finally made up his mind. The Sentinel hadn't picked up any sight or sound that indicated trouble so he just filed the experience away for future reference.

Jim and Blair exited the courthouse and walked right into the middle of a media frenzy. For once, they weren't the cause. A group armed with cameras and microphones mobbed the captain of the Cascade Terrorist Investigations Department and another older man. The detectives moved along the edge of the mob as they made their way down the stairs.

"Captain Jameson!" one reporter shouted. "Are you concerned that the conviction of two influential members of the People's Resistance Front will cause their associates to seek retribution?"

The captain raised his hand for silence and shook his head. "We have the PRF under observation. If they try anything, it will only lead to more of them being arrested. Hopefully today's demonstration of justice will convince the remaining PRF that terrorist acts will not be tolerated in this country."

"Mr. Goldman," another reporter called. "Is the OSI satisfied with the TID's handling of the People's Resistance? Or do you plan to put your own people on it as well?"

Oscar Goldman smiled disarmingly at the young reporter. "I'm just here for the trial. The OSI's involvement ended as soon as Reider and Talbot were arrested." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "If it becomes necessary, OSI resources will be at Captain Jameson's disposal."

Off to one side of the crowd, Blair automatically stopped when Jim did. He was so absorbed by what was going on at the top of the stairs that he didn't even notice how in tune he was with his partner's movements. "What is it about this city that draws the loonies, Jim?" Blair asked. Having dealt with the Sunrise Patriots, he was only too glad to let someone else handle this new terrorist threat in Cascade.

"I don't know, Chief," Jim answered distractedly. He rubbed the hair down on the back of his neck as he scanned the area.

"Who is this Goldman?" Blair asked unaware of Jim's focus. "And the OSI? I've never heard that one before."

"Office of Scientific Investigations," Jim replied only half listening. He tuned his sight and hearing onto the two people across the street who were also watching the media.

_"…Steve, I know he's worried about retaliation. That's why he called us," the older blonde woman said._

_"Well, he's right, Jaime. I can see half a dozen in hiding from here. What are you picking up?"_

Jim shook his head and switched his attention to the surrounding area. Sure enough he could see five people hiding in various locals near the courthouse. He straightened. One of them had a sniper rifle. "Come on, Chief," he said grabbing Blair's arm as he headed back toward the top of the stairs.

"SNIPER!" Jim shouted drawing his gun as he closed on Jameson and Goldman. The Sentinel then turned, aimed his weapon at the sniper he'd spotted, and fired.

Blair drew his own weapon and herded the civilians into the building as two shots rang out. A bullet pinged off a statue near the spot where Jameson had pulled Goldman down. Across the street a man screamed and fell from the top of the building. Jim watched as his target plummeted to the ground.

Jim sat in the conference room rubbing his eyes with one hand. They'd been questioned by TID and OSI operatives, separately and then together and it was getting old. His head hurt and they wouldn't let him see Blair. The door opened and Jim raised his head to see Oscar Goldman enter.

"I understand I owe you a thanks for saving my life, Detective Ellison," Goldman said with a fatherly smile.

_The man could make a fortune selling used cars._ Jim nodded slightly.

"Well," Goldman continued. "Thank you. I'm sorry for all the cloak and dagger, but I'm sure with your background you're quite used to it."

Jim frowned. "If you know my background, Mr. Goldman, then you know I'll cooperate to the best of my abilities." Ellison's frown deepened. "However, I think that I've come to the end of my ability to be patient. I just want to collect my partner and go home."

Goldman chuckled. "You're free to go, Detective. I apologize for keeping you so long."

Jim nodded and stood. "Good luck. I don't envy you the job of reeling in the PRF." He left the room and focused easily on his partner's voice.

"I can't believe this, Jim," Blair complained from across the room. To all outward appearances he was just mumbling to himself. Jim grinned. "We're the good guys! And they grilled us like a salmon steak. I'm so out of here. Let's grab a bite to eat. I'll even go for that steak house you like."

Jim continued to grin as he neared Blair. It was fun to have these one-sided conversations with his Guide from across the room. One of the perks of being a Sentinel. He replaced his grin with a worried frown before Blair got to him. Jim looked at his partner critically then grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him, first one way then the other.

"What?" Blair exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

"Well," Jim replied suppressing his grin. "I don't see any grill marks."

"Ha!" Blair said smacking his friend on the arm. "You are too funny, man. Don't quit your day job."

Jim threw his arm over Blair's shoulders and guided him for the door. "Let's go get that steak, what do you say?"

Blair grinned at him. "They have a great salad bar, too, Jim."

"I don't go to steak houses for the greens, Junior," Jim growled playfully.

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Jaime Austin asked with a frown.

Oscar Goldman shrugged as he paced the hotel room. "They're going to try something big to get Reider and Talbot. Maybe during the transfer to the prison."

"Why don't you check the files, Jaime?" Colonel Steve Austin suggested to his wife as he watched the older man pace. "Oscar, sit down, you're making me tired."

Goldman frowned at his friend. "I've got ten years on you, Pal, and you've got bionic legs." He shook his head. "Don't give me that line of bull."

Steve grinned. "Come on, Oscar. There's nothing we can do about it tonight. And there's no way the PRF are going try anything with the security we have set up here. All we can do is wait for Kate to contact us and let us know their next move."

Oscar sighed and turned his attention to Jaime. "Why are you so interested in Sandburg?"

Jaime shook her head as she set up the holographic keyboard. "It's not just Sandburg, but the combination with Ellison that is setting off bells in my head. I don't know, three, maybe four years ago… Something…"

She set up the scanner that would display a keyboard of light on any surface and read where her fingers were hitting, then plugged it into the modified laptop computer and turned it on. Jaime started typing one handed, but that hand moved much faster than any normal typist could compete with.

"I love this keyboard," she said as the information she wanted scrolled down the screen.

"You're just tired of replacing the ones you burn out," Steve teased.

Jaime waggled her eyebrows. "Darned right." She pushed a strand of silvered-blonde hair back behind one ear and returned her attention to the screen. "Here it is. In 1999 Ellison was exposed as a Sentinel. Someone with hyperactive senses. Touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. Supposedly Sandburg's doctoral thesis was on Sentinels and was released to the press prematurely. Sandburg later denounced the work as a fake on national TV."

"What's he doing still working with Ellison?" Goldman asked sitting down beside Jaime.

"According to this, the whole Sentinel paper and fraud statement was a ruse to draw out an assassin. After the man was killed attempting to escape, Sandburg went into the police academy and was promoted directly to detective with Major Crimes. He later finished his doctorate at Rainier," Jaime answered with a puzzled frown.

"That doesn't explain how Ellison knew that sniper was up there," Steve said standing to do his own pacing. "Or how he made that shot with a Sig."

Goldman nodded thoughtfully. "Jaime, get me everything you can on Ellison and Sandburg. I think we may do a little recruiting for this assignment."

**The next morning**

"I wonder what Simon wants with us so early this morning?" Blair wondered aloud as he followed Jim into the bullpen only to run into the bigger man's back as Jim stopped suddenly.

"There it is again," Jim said rubbing his hand over his forearm to smooth the hairs down.

"There's what, Jim?" Blair asked moving around to face his Sentinel.

Jim frowned. "Yesterday I had the strangest sensation. Like coming into contact with a light electrical field. It made my hair stand up."

"Why didn't you say something?" the Guide requested.

"The first time was in the coffee shop and it went away pretty fast. The second time was right before I spotted the sniper. I was able to track it to an older couple across the street. They were talking about PRF people hiding around the courthouse and that's when I saw the sniper."

"And you're getting that same feeling now?" Blair asked concerned. 

"Yeah," Jim replied staring at Simon's office. He smoothed the hair on the back of his neck.

Blair followed his gaze. "Maybe that's why Simon called us in."

Jim tilted his head. "Well, we're not going to find out standing here, Kreskin."

They went to the captain's office and knocked then entered at Simon's gruff "Come."

"Nice of you to join us this morning, gentlemen," Banks growled.

Blair grinned. "Sorry, Simon," he replied sending a smile at the other occupants of the room. "Ran into traffic."

Jim scrutinized the three people in the room. Oscar Goldman was one of them. The other two were the couple he'd seen across from the courthouse.

Simon cleared his throat. "Detectives, I believe you'll recall Mr. Goldman, OSI. This is Colonel Steve Austin and Dr. Jaime Austin."

"The astronaut?" Blair exclaimed. "Cool!" he said moving to shake hands with the Colonel and then his wife.

Steve grinned at the younger detective then offered his hand to Ellison.

Jim shook his hand then rubbed his thumb and fingers together briskly before shaking Dr. Austin's. Her hand gave him the same response and Jim frowned as he rubbed his tingling right hand down his pants leg. "To what do we owe this honor?" the Sentinel asked suspiciously.

Goldman smiled and glanced at Austin. "I told you we wouldn't get anything past Detective Ellison, Steve."

Blair's eyes narrowed. "What do you want with us?" he asked, his own suspicions aroused.

Jaime raised her eyebrows. Evidently Sandburg wasn't just an academician.

"We've read your files," Goldman said suddenly serious. "We know about your participation in taking down the Sunrise Patriots. Frankly, we need your help. You know the area and the people. And your expertise in dealing with terrorists will be helpful to our operation."

Blair frowned at the word 'expertise.' _What exactly does Goldman mean by that, I wonder?_

"I don't buy it," Jim said staring Goldman down. "There are at least a dozen other people more qualified to handle this situation than we are." He flicked his eyes toward the Austins. "What is it you really need us for?"

Goldman nodded. "Okay. I'll be honest. We need your unique abilities to get past the PRF's counter-surveillance equipment."

Blair stepped in front of Jim his eyes blazing. "What are you talking about?"

Jaime moved forward. "We know Detective Ellison is a Sentinel."

Simon joined Blair in front of Jim. "I think it's time you folks leave."

"This is a matter of national security," Goldman continued. "We believe the PRF have one or more EMP bombs and are planning to use them to free Reider and Talbot. Just one of them could devastate communications over the entire city and maybe the entire state depending on the size of the device."

Jim put a hand on each of his friends' shoulders and pushed his way between them. "Tell me something, honestly, and I'll consider it."

"What's that?" Goldman asked suspiciously.

"Why do Colonel and Dr. Austin literally make my skin crawl?" Jim asked sending an apologetic look at the couple.

Colonel Austin chuckled and slapped Goldman on the back. "That's what you get, Oscar, for trying to pull a fast one on a man with hyperactive senses."

"I wasn't trying to pull a fast one," Goldman grouched. He shrugged. "Show them."

Jaime pulled out a small box, no bigger than the palm of her hand. "It's an anti-surveillance device designed to prevent people from listening in on our conversations. It also emits a charge that will disrupt video equipment within a certain range." She looked at Jim thoughtfully. "I'm surprised you were able to sense it."

Jim frowned. They weren't lying, but they weren't telling the whole truth either. "Okay. If it's all right with our Captain, and my partner agrees, I'll help you. Assuming that this information stays between us?" he suggested indicating the people in the room with a wave of his hand.

"Of course, Detective," Goldman said smiling again. "Strictly confidential."

Jim nodded doubtfully, but turned to Simon and Blair. "Well, Sir?"

Banks glared at the OSI people then at Jim. "I don't like it, Jim. But I like having the PRF loose in my town even less. Be sure you call in the cavalry if you need us."

"Yes, Sir," Jim replied. He looked at his frowning Guide, and then turned back to Goldman. "We need a minute alone."

Goldman nodded and gathered up Steve and Jaime with a glance. The OSI people left the room and Jim closed the door behind them before turning to face Banks and Sandburg.

"They're not telling the whole truth," Jim said watching his friends.

"No, shit, Jim!" Blair blurted out raking his hands through his hair as he started to pace.

Simon glanced out the window and saw the three OSI watching them. He quickly closed the blinds and turned back to his detectives. "I don't like it, Jim. It's too risky. You could both just disappear. We've talked about this," Banks finished pointing toward the bullpen.

Jim frowned. "I know, sir. But… I don't think that they plan to spirit us away. They need our help. Whatever their secret is," the Sentinel shrugged, "that's what they aren't telling us. Something is not… normal about Colonel and Dr. Austin. I'm not sure what though."

Blair stared at the closed blinds. "Can you hear what they're talking about out there?"

"Sandburg!" Simon exclaimed.

The Guide turned smoldering eyes on his Captain. "It's Jim's life we're talking about here, Simon. I'm not going to let a little thing like eavesdropping stand in the way of his safety!"

Jim put his hand on Blair's shoulder. "Easy, Chief." He looked at Simon, who rolled his eyes and nodded. The Sentinel tilted his head, focusing his hearing on the bullpen.

_"I think we should have told them," Jaime Austin said._

_"Eventually," Goldman replied, "we probably will have to. But for now, it's still 'need to know.'"_

_"For the record, Oscar," Steve said, "I'm with Jaime on this one. Ellison is offering his services. It may help him to know what other assets he has to rely on."_

_A pause in the conversation lasted for several long seconds before Goldman spoke again. "I'll think about it."_

_"You know," Jaime said suddenly, "it just occurred to me that he might be listening to us."_

More silence followed. Jim shook his head. "They've clammed up." He grinned and tugged on his ear. "Dr. Austin remembered who they were dealing with."

Blair grinned but it faded quickly to a frown. "So what do we do, Jim?"

"If Goldman's right about the EMP device," Jim's face hardened, "then we don't have a choice."

Banks and Sandburg nodded reluctantly in reply.

"All right Jim," Simon said. "But I want you two to check in on a regular basis. Let us know if you're going to be out of contact for more than six hours."

Jim straightened to attention and nodded.

**A little while later at Goldman's hotel suite**

"From what our contact has been able to tell us," Jaime started.

Jim interrupted. "You have someone on the inside," he stated.

Jaime glanced at Oscar, got a slight nod and turned back to Jim. "Yes. Kate was just going in on a standard Intel op. We weren't really expecting trouble from the PRF just yet. But when Reider and Talbot were convicted, everything changed." Jaime slid a picture of Kate across the table to the Cascade detectives. "The PRF went into high-drive and word on the street was they found someone to build a powerful bomb."

Blair lifted the picture. His eyebrows rose with appreciation. The brown-eyed brunette in the photo was about his age with a knock out smile. "Wow."

Steve grinned. "Don't get any ideas, kid, she's married to Oscar's nephew."

Blair formed a surprised 'O' with his mouth and carefully set the picture down. Goldman's smile was more reminiscent of a shark than a benevolent uncle.

"Kate got inside and found out about the EMP device," Jaime continued. "But that was all the communication we were able to receive. The PRF upgraded their counter-surveillance equipment shortly thereafter and we were cut off."

Jim frowned. "Do you know if she's been found out?"

Oscar sat forward and leaned his arms on the table. "We don't believe so. There hasn't been any sign of trouble at their strong hold. We have a standard procedure in place. If the operative misses two consecutive check-ins, then they set up a cover story to allow another agent to join them."

Steve continued. "By this point they should be expecting Kate's cousin Bernie to show up."

"Bernie?" Blair snickered.

Jaime shrugged and grinned. "We need Blair to go in as Bernie."

"No," Jim said standing, pushing his chair roughly away from the table as he did. "I'll go in."

Oscar shook his head. "They would peg you as a cop in two seconds, Ellison. Besides, we need your ears on the outside to keep us apprised of the situation."

Jim glared at Goldman. "I need him to help me," he growled pointing at Blair.

Blair sat back and watched content to let Jim figure things out to his own satisfaction. For now.

Goldman glared back at Jim. "You'll be focusing on Sandburg. From what I've read, that should be sufficient grounding."

"What do you mean, from what you've read?" Jim snapped his gaze sliding to Blair then back to Goldman.

"Smarten up, Ellison," Oscar replied heatedly. "The minute Graham released that snippet to the press, Sandburg's manuscript was snatched up by every government agency in the world. You've got more eyes on you than the President and Hussein together."

"That's enough!" Blair declared boring holes into Goldman with his glare. Oscar backed off and Blair turned to his Sentinel. "We've always assumed that was the case," he sighed. "Jim, we're here to help them and Goldman's right," he raised his hand to forestall Jim's protest. "You won't have any problems with me as the focus." Blair waited until Jim nodded sullenly and sat down, then he turned back to Oscar.

"There was no reason to throw that in our faces. Unless there's something you can do to protect Jim?" he asked hopefully.

"Us," Jim growled. "Protect us, Chief."

Goldman tilted his head acknowledging Blair's question. "If word gets around that you're working with OSI," he shrugged, "that will protect you from legal Allied agencies. And if something were to happen, our people would come looking for you. That's the best I can offer gentlemen."

Jim and Blair exchanged a quick look and nodded at Goldman. "Fair enough," Blair said. "So, this is a retrieval mission, correct?"

"Mostly," Steve answered. "You'll make contact with Kate, find out what she knows and pass it to us via Ellison. After that," he shrugged, "it all depends on the Intel. You may both be extracted right away, or have to stay in for a little longer."

"Okay," Blair agreed catching Jim's eye again. "So fill me in on my cover."

Jim and Blair left Goldman's suite several hours later. As the door closed behind them Jim stopped and held up his hand to shush his partner.

"They just turned on a white noise generator, Chief," he whispered. "Can you help me get past it?"

Blair nodded placing his hand on Jim's arm. "Focus on the noise Jim," he said softly, "identify it and push it aside. Now focus on their voices, you know what they sound like, find them. Jaime, Col. Austin, Goldman… That's it."

Blair's words faded until the sound of his voice and the white noise generator were the only things Jim could hear. Gradually he was able to break through the noise and found the voices he wanted to hear.

_"…talked to Rudy?" Jaime asked._

_"Yes," Goldman replied. "He's concerned that exposure to an EMP will completely shut her systems down. And he wasn't too optimistic about you two either."_

_"Damn," Steve said. "I hate not knowing how far along their plans are. We could be sending Sandburg into a hornet's nest."_

_"We don't have any other choice, Steve," Goldman sighed. "Kate won't be able to complete this assignment if she's exposed to a pulse. We've got to have Sandburg there as backup."_

Jim frowned as he pulled his hearing back to normal.

"What did you hear Jim?" Blair asked.

"Not here, Chief," he replied catching Blair by the arm as he headed for the elevator.

Once they were in the truck and moving, Blair tried again. "Okay, Jim, spill it."

"What ever it is that they are hiding, Steve and Jaime," he clarified, "Kate has the same secret. Goldman talked to someone named Rudy who was worried about the effects an EMP would have on those three."

Blair frowned. "From what I know of EMPs, they don't harm living tissue, just electronic systems."

"Right," Jim said pounding the steering wheel with the palm of his hand in frustration.

"Could they have some sort of implants?"

"But what? From what Goldman said a pulse would completely incapacitate Kate. And wouldn't be too healthy for the Austin's either."

"I don't know Jim," Blair sighed, "but for now we'll just have to trust that whatever their secret is, it won't hurt us or the mission." He grimaced. "Well, unless the bomb goes off."

Jim grunted his dissatisfaction.

**Inside the PRF compound**

Kate sighed to herself. Neither of her last contact attempts had been successful. Either Steve or Jaime should have answered her, but since they hadn't she could only assume that the equipment she'd seen unloaded and installed several days before was to keep people from spying on the compound. So Kate started to talk up her cousin Bernie, who was supposed to be joining her here in the next few days. She used their cover story and mentioned him to as many people as possible planting the seed that she'd been expecting him all along.

Now, twenty-four hours later, Kate hoped 'Bernie' wouldn't be too late. Somehow Prior had gotten his hands on a scientist type who could build an EMP bomb. From what she'd heard the bomb would disrupt communications throughout Cascade.

And they were working on building another one, a bigger one to ship out of state.

"When's your cousin showing up, Kathy?" Melinda asked as she passed Kate in the hall.

Kate smiled. "Soon I hope," she replied truthfully.

Blair took the glasses Jaime handed to him. They looked just like his current pair.

She grinned. "They are your prescription, but will also act as a headset when you activate them." Jaime took the glasses back. "Just pull the right arm all the way out until it's flush with the lenses, this will turn the headset on. Then the arm goes back to its normal position and you wear them just like always. The speaker and microphone are very sensitive. You should be able to hear us easily and vice versa. You turn them off the same way," she demonstrated and handed them to Blair.

"Cool," Blair grinned, taking the glasses back and putting them on in place of his regular pair.

Jim was impressed, but hid it under a scowl. His partner was about to go into the lion's den without him. The Sentinel didn't have time for fancy toys. "Remember Chief. Check in every two hours. If I don't hear from you by five after, I'm coming in."

Blair met his Sentinel's gaze. "I hear you Jim. Just take it easy and don't stay focused on me for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time, big guy." Jim nodded sheepishly. Blair looked to Jaime and Steve. "Make sure he rests in between times," he commanded.

"We will, Blair," Jaime assured him.

"Time for you to go, Pal," Goldman said opening the door to the van. "Stay in touch and good luck." 

"Thanks," Blair replied shouldering his backpack as he stepped onto the curb. He was several blocks from the compound and would walk the rest of the way. "See ya soon, Jim," he said softly as he walked away.

Jim sat back in his seat ignoring the OSI people as he focused on his partner's heartbeat.

"Kathy!" Blair exclaimed as he saw Kate Goldman for the first time.

"Bernie!" Kate replied with a wide smile. She ran and embraced him.

"Goldman," Blair whispered returning the hug. "Kathy, I'm so glad to see you. It took me forever to get here. My car died and I had to hitch over most of the state of Washington." They pulled back from each other grinning from ear to ear, looking like nothing more than two long lost relatives. "Then I walked the last five or ten miles," Blair trailed off with a grin. "Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes."

"Oh, Bernie, I'm so glad you made it," Kate continued grabbing his hand. "Let me introduce you to my friends." She dragged him around making introductions and small talk until the furor of having someone new in the compound died down.

Blair let them search his backpack and jacket as Kate explained they had to be careful. The 'heat' was on and they couldn't chance that someone had planted a bug on him. Blair nodded wide-eyed and innocent, agreeing that they couldn't take any chances.

After that Kate led him on a tour around the compound, covertly pointing out the hidden weapons depot, where the lab/manufacturing facility was and the rooms where the top echelon slept. Blair took it all in, keeping a close eye on the time.

Just before the two-hour mark he guided Kate to a bench in the gardens. "Can they hear us?" he asked casually.

Kate shook her head. "All their counter-surveillance equipment works in our favor too."

Blair smiled and nodded. "I need to make my report in a few minutes. We can just sit here and pretend to be catching up on family stuff. I'll give you a lead in so you can give your information."

"How are you making contact? I told you…"

Blair interrupted. "Don't worry, Kate, you have your little secrets and I have mine. Just give them everything you've got." He looked at his watch again and nodded. "Okay, Jim, I gave you an extra minute, I hope you're listening. They've got about thirty armed men and twice that many civilians in here. The munitions dump is in the northwest corner, the small building with the tin roof. The scientist has been working in a lab on the east side of the building, maybe halfway down. You should be able to sniff it out, if you get my drift. All right, I'm going to let Kate give her report, talk to you in two, buddy," Blair finished, grinning at Kate to go ahead.

"Um, hi, Jim? Tell Oscar that this thing is going down tonight. Prior plans to set the bomb off at a power substation. He'll have most of his men with him, only a skeleton crew will be left here. You may want to send someone in to clear out the scientist and the device blueprints. The scientist's name is Brice. I managed to get Bernie," she glanced at Blair, "what is your name anyway?"

"Blair Sandburg," he grinned.

Kate smiled back. "Blair, invited to the party. They think he has experience with a terrorist group down south. I'll make my own way there." She shrugged. "That's all I have. Just watch for the trucks to roll out, but don't follow too close, they have heavy duty weapons."

Blair nodded and grabbed Kate's hand. "Let's go mingle some more, keep them from suspecting anything." Kate nodded and they headed back to the main building.

**Two hours later in the van**

Jim sighed and rubbed his face. Even with taking rest breaks between monitoring Blair and the rest of the compound he was beginning to get a headache. It was getting harder for him to stay focused and Jim feared he might zone just when Blair needed him most.

"Jaime?" Jim asked reluctantly.

"Yes, Jim?"

"I could use a little help here," he admitted, "something to ground me so that I don't zone."

"Zone?" she asked. "I read about that, but what exactly can I do to help?"

"When I focus too much on one sense, I can get lost in it. That's a zone. Blair usually grounds me with a touch or by talking to me, depending on which sense I'm using. If I look like I'm spacing out, touch my arm, a tap, squeeze, or pinch if needed should keep me here." Jaime nodded. Jim took a deep breath and sent his hearing out in search of Blair.

The traffic noise was cataloged and discarded. He browsed through the voices outside the building and set them aside. Jim cast out a sensory net to pick up his Guide's voice or heart beat. The sounds of birds, insects, electronic buzz and the click of weapons being readied flooded in and overwhelmed the tired Sentinel.

Jaime frowned, the last time Ellison had started relaying information almost immediately. This time he sat frozen. "I think he's zoning," she said aloud, reaching to touch him.

Suddenly Jim's world went white, a buzzing noise ripped through him like a tornado through wheat. He jerked and grabbed his head, an incoherent cry of pain escaping his lips as he slipped from the chair and crumpled onto the floorboard.

Jaime pulled her hand back in shock. "What the?"

Oscar moved over to Jim and put his hands over Jim's which were still clapped firmly over the Sentinel's ears. He spoke in a low calm voice. "I think he responded to your bionics, Jaime. Remember how he sensed them when you shook hands?" Jaime and Steve nodded.

"I didn't hurt him did I?" she asked mortified.

"I don't know, Jaime," Oscar replied softly still focused on Ellison. "Come on, Ellison, Sandburg needs you. Can you hear me, Jim? Come on, Pal."

Jim felt warm hands on his. Real hands. And heard a soft compelling voice. It wasn't Blair, but it seemed to be cutting through the haze. He blinked and shook his head, tentatively pulling his hands away from his ears. "What happened?" he asked weakly.

"I'm not sure," Goldman replied helping him to sit up. "We think you zoned and then you cried out in pain."

Steve offered Jim a bottle of water, which the Sentinel took gratefully. He gulped it down then looked at his watch. "Damn, I missed the contact completely."

"That's okay, Jim," Steve assured clapping him on the shoulder careful to use his left hand. "I think they probably gave us everything they had the first time. Prior wouldn't allow talk of the mission if it's going down tonight. Did you hear anything else though?"

Jim closed his eyes briefly and replayed the sounds in his head. His eyes opened bleakly. "Yeah, I heard weapons being readied. We should be prepared to follow them."

Goldman nodded. "I've already got teams standing by all around the compound, one to go in and secure Brice and the plans, the rest to make sure no one gets past us."

"Damn it, damn it, damn it," Kate cussed as she paced back and forth in her small room. Blair watched her just as upset, but resigned to the fact that they couldn't let the others know what was going on yet.

"I can't believe I didn't catch that sooner," Kate said, continuing to pace. "It only makes sense that they'd already have moved the bomb, that way if they are stopped on the way, there's nothing to arrest them for. But how could I have missed that they already have two devices?"

"More importantly, Kate," Blair interrupted. "Assuming they do take me with them, how are you going to follow us?"

Kate turned to face Blair and grinned wickedly. "Don't worry about either of those things, Blair. They need every man who can handle a weapon and 'Bernie' has tons of experience."

"Then why don't they take you?"

"They don't think it's a woman's place," she grimaced.

Blair shook his head in disbelief. "Maybe we should be grateful that these terrorist groups are so backward. Just imagine if they did 'allow' their women to fight." He rolled his eyes. "Of course if they actually let those women know what was going on and listened to them, they wouldn't be doing this in the first place, would they?"

Kate waggled her eyebrows. "Yeah, well, nobody ever said they were smart, just determined."

"So how…" the door swung open and a man with a rifle motioned to Blair.

"You coming, Bernie?"

Blair gave him a cocky grin. "You bet!" he said, standing and catching the rifle that was tossed at him. He saluted Kate. "See ya, cuz," and followed the man down the hall.

He found himself in the courtyard surrounded by the other men. Everyone had a rifle or semi-automatic and many also had some type of handgun. Blair coughed and covered his mouth. "Jim, if you can hear me, we're heading out," he whispered into his hand.

Prior jumped up onto the tailgate of a truck and raised his hands. "All right men. We're finally going to free our brothers and show this country's leaders that we mean business. You've all got your orders. Do me proud Brothers. Do us all proud."

The men around him hollered and whooped in response and then started to load onto the trucks. Blair hung back and watched to see where Prior was riding, and then hopped into the same truck.

Kate waited for a few minutes then forced open the locked door. She peeked out and saw that the hall was clear. Using her bionic speed she ran to the front of the compound and was just in time to see the last truck roll through the gate. She followed. Once outside the compound Kate could hear the men in the trucks. She focused on finding Prior's voice and chased after it. Seconds later an explosion on the street behind her took down an old tree and blocked the way.

Jim cocked his head. "They're coming out."

Goldman nodded and moved to the passenger seat as he directed the driver to start the van. Jim, Steve and Jaime all moved into the other chairs and leaned in to watch through the front window.

Several trucks went by and they started to follow. Jim frowned a few moments later when a strange blur caught his eye. He tried to focus on it and so, was completely caught off guard by the explosion that dropped the tree in front of them.

The driver slammed on the brakes while Jim tried to control his dials.

"Damn!" Goldman cursed. "Steve, Jaime, take care of that, they're getting away."

Jim frowned_. I must have heard him wrong. What can they do_? He shook his head against the bright spots in his vision and stared out the front window in disbelief.

Steve and Jaime Austin had jumped out of the van at Goldman's request and gone to the top of the tree. They each grabbed a sturdy branch with one hand and proceeded to pull the tree out of the road.

"How the hell?" Jim exclaimed.

Goldman grinned ferociously. "That's our little secret Detective."

The Austins rejoined them and the driver punched it.

"Can any of you pick them up?" Goldman asked.

Jim sent out his hearing and about the same time he found the truck and started to say something Jaime nodded.

"Turn right at the next street," she said.

The Sentinel stared at her.

Jaime smiled sympathetically. "Ever hear of bionics, Detective?" Jim's eyes widened. She nodded. "My right arm, both legs and right ear. Same for Steve, but instead of an ear they had to replace an eye."

"And Kate?" Jim asked scanning the couple and cataloging the buzz now that he had a name to put to it.

Goldman interrupted. "She's a little more complicated. Bionic, yes, but through nanotechnology that enabled a girl with a degenerative nervous system disease to walk again." He paused. "As fascinating as this all is, can we get back to the business at hand?"

Jim nodded. _Time for this later._ "Take the next left," he told the driver. "And slow down, we've almost caught up to them. They think the tree did its job."

"Yeah," Steve said, "it probably did if the rest of the teams were blocked too." He met Jim and Jaime's eyes. "It means we're on our own."

Jim shook his head and pulled out his cell phone. "I'll call Simon and get the troops moving. There are only two substations in Cascade."

Jaime's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Is one of them closer to the jail where Talbot and Reider are being kept?"

Ellison nodded emphatically. "Good thinking." The line rang through to Captain Banks and Jim filled him in.

Blair followed Prior along with five other guys and watched as they rigged the EMP bomb to one of the transformers and set it for fifteen minutes. The PRF men high-fived each other.

Prior laughed. "Now, my brother's we will prevail. Let's go!" and he led them back out.

Blair followed but fell to the back of the group, slowly so as not to attract attention. By the time they reached the fence he was far behind everyone and simply slipped between some machinery as the rest of them climbed into the truck.

He primed his glasses/headset. "Hey, can you hear me? We've got less than ten minutes to disarm this thing." No one answered. "Damn." Sirens sounded in the distance but Blair knew that sound could travel farther than the two-mile range of the headset. At least the PRF wouldn't be turning around to look for him.

He glanced at his watch. Eight minutes plus. Blair turned to go back to the bomb and nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned defensively and stopped at the sight of Kate's infectious grin.

"Miss me?" she asked.

"How?" he shook his head. "Not now, we only have eight minutes until this thing blows." He took off at a run toward the bomb.

"Shit!" Kate said easily catching up and keeping pace. "Where is it?" she asked.

"Attached to a transformer," Blair gasped, pointing ahead as he ran. "Third one on the right." He almost stopped as Kate suddenly sped past him little more than a blur, but then he remembered Goldman's concern that she not be exposed to the EMP blast. "Damn! Kate, wait!" Blair dug deep and sprinted the rest of the way to the transformer.

Kate had the device in her hands looking at the timer when Blair arrived out of breath. She looked up at him. "What now?" The timer said six minutes.

"We have to put it somewhere shielded," Blair said taking the bomb from her. "But you need to get out of here. Rudy was worried that the blast would take your systems off line."

Kate stared at him. "You know?"

Blair shook his head distractedly, trying to think some way to shield the device. "Not really, Jim just overheard Goldman telling Jaime and Steve." He grinned at her suddenly. "I know where to stash this thing, go!"

"No way! I'm with you. If you manage to shield it, I'll be safe enough. If not," Kate shrugged, but there was fear in her eyes, "well, it won't matter much anyway will it?"

Blair groaned. "All right, come on." He raced off toward the small lake at the edge of the property hugging the briefcase-sized device to his chest. Kate followed. "Jim, man, if you can hear me, I'm gonna dump this thing in the lake."

He stopped at the edge of the water and set the case down so he could remove his belt. The timer read three minutes. Blair reviewed what he knew of EMP bombs while he threaded his belt through one loop and a handhold on the bomb. The device had an explosive charge that would detonate to set off the electromagnetic pulse. If he could get the package far enough below the surface, the water should absorb most of the pulse.

"Are you as strong as you are fast?" Blair asked, looking up to catch Kate's affirmative nod. "Good. I'm going to swim out and take this thing to the bottom of the lake. Can you lob that rock out so that it lands close to me? I need something to hold the case down with." 

Kate nodded again and gave Blair a quick hug. "Okay Blair, just get out of there as fast as you can."

He nodded, heading into the water carrying the case until he was in deep enough for it to trail behind him. "You get back Kate, the water will take most of the blast, but I don't know how much overflow there might be." Blair started to swim, counting seconds in his head. He stopped and took several deep breaths then dove for the bottom.

Kate lifted the rock and watched Blair swim out. "Where did Oscar find this guy?" she muttered to herself. "If I wasn't happily married…" _He didn't even stop to take off his glasses_. Blair dove down and Kate waited a few more seconds before she sighted and threw the rock, landing it just to the left of where Blair went down. "I hope you didn't move," she said, racing away from the lake.

It was murky and seemed a long way down before Blair rammed his fingers into the floor of the lake. Fortunately it was covered in a thick layer of silt. He struggled with his belt and unfastened the bomb. A soft plopping noise from above got his attention and the rock he'd pointed out to Kate settled to the floor beside him. Blair grinned and using one hand to hold the case down dragged the rock with his other. He got the rock settled on top of the case just as the timer hit zero.

Jim heard Blair's ten-minute warning without the use of the communications equipment. They weren't in range for that yet. "It's on a timer, we've got less than ten minutes," he relayed, keeping his attention on his partner.

They'd gotten tied up with traffic and fallen behind the PRF truck. "Kate just showed up." A moment later Jim grinned at his partner's quick thinking. "He's going to ditch it in the lake." Jim caught the seat in front of him as they barreled around a corner. "Can you reach him yet?" he asked Austin who was working the scanner. Jim didn't want to lose his contact with Blair if they weren't in range.

Steve shook his head and kept trying as the van sped toward the substation.

Sirens plagued the fringe of Jim's hearing. He blocked them out, listening to Blair give Kate what seemed to be some very strange instructions. "How much time, Chief?" he muttered, looking at his watch. "Be careful."

Suddenly the sound of Blair's heartbeat was muffled and he wasn't breathing. Jim caught his breath as he realized that Blair was holding his while he swam and then dove for the bottom of the lake.

The van screeched to a halt and Jim was out the door running for the lake before the others could stop him. He heard the blast before they saw the displaced water erupt at the surface of the lake. "BLAIR!" Jim screamed, racing into the water up to his waist. "Chief!"

The Sentinel focused everything on the churning water trying to discern where Blair might be. Fortunately, the lake was forgiving and didn't want to keep the man who had disturbed the peaceful waters. Jim saw something bob to the surface and focused his sight. It was Blair. He swam out to his brother and caught him in a rescue hold lifting Blair's face from the water.

Jim felt for a pulse. There. Weak, but there. And then listened to see if he was breathing. A quick application of the Heimlich maneuver brought a gush of water and a gasp for air. "Thank God," Jim sighed with relief as he started to pull his friend to shore.

He glanced up and saw Goldman, Simon, Rafe and Henri heading for the water. The Austins and Kate were hanging back by the van. "Keep them back Goldman," Jim yelled as his feet hit the lake bottom and he struggled to stand. He changed his grip and continued to pull Blair out of the water. "The EMP field extends back about twenty feet from the water. I felt it as I got closer to the lake."

Goldman nodded as he turned back to check on the safety of his team. Simon, H and Brian all helped Jim carry Blair onto the shore then stared in horror as Jim asked Rafe to get a blanket. Only then did the Sentinel let himself see what his senses had already told him.

"Oh God!" Jim cried, taking in the sight of Blair's mutilated hands and forearms. The Sentinel looked into his Guide's face and gasped again at the blackened skin around what used to be Blair's right eye and ear. "Blair?" Jim whispered, leaning down to rest his head against the uninjured side of his partner's head.

"Jim!" Simon shouted for the third time, shaking his shoulder. "Let the paramedics in, we're going to Life Flight him to the Burn and Trauma Center." Simon pulled Jim away and held the distressed man back as they watched the medics start an IV line in Blair's leg and temporarily dress the scorched arms. They got him on a backboard and loaded the younger detective into the waiting chopper.

Jim didn't even notice as Goldman, Kate and both the Austins climbed in after him.

**In the helicopter**

"We owe it to him Oscar!" Steve growled over the hum of the blades. "He didn't have to help us. We can give him back his life!"

"Steve, you know we can't just…" Oscar started.

"No, Oscar," Kate butted in. "What Blair did down there was a totally unselfish act of heroism. If only for that reason, we should do whatever we can to help him." She stared at Goldman. "He truly cares about people and making the world a better place. Don't force him to use that energy on just trying to get by day to day. Really, Oscar, what are a few million dollars compared to what he might do in the future? Please," Kate entreated.

Oscar met three hard stares and turned his head to look at Blair and Ellison. Jim was completely engrossed in his partner, the misery on his face more eloquent than words.

"Why else would we all get on this chopper, Oscar?" Jaime asked, regaining Goldman's attention.

He sighed and made his way to the front of the bird.

Steve pulled out his cell phone and dialed Rudy's number.

Jim raised his head as the chopper banked hard to the left. "What's going on?"

Kate smiled softly. "We're taking Blair to an OSI facility. He'll get the best care there, the care he deserves."

The Sentinel blinked and returned his attention to his Guide. _Live Blair. Everything else we can deal with, but you've got to stay with me, buddy._

**OSI hospital -Location: Classified**

Jim prowled the waiting area snarling at anyone who got too close or tried to talk to him. The doctor, Rudy Wells, was with Blair now evaluating his condition. _I can't believe this. This can't be happening. I can't believe…_ his thoughts seemed to be stuck in a vicious cycle.

Goldman had disappeared somewhere as soon as Dr. Wells went in with Blair. Jaime and Steve had stayed with Jim, but wisely sat off to one side and did not try to comfort him. Bionics or not, the Sentinel seemed quite dangerous in his current state of mind.

Dr. Wells came out of the room and suddenly found himself confronted by a very disturbed Sentinel.

"How is he?" Jim growled.

"As much as I hate saying these words... Detective Sandburg is doing as well as can be expected." Dr. Wells removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes briefly before replacing the specs. "He seems to have been in close proximity to the bomb when it went off. Both of his hands and forearms are severely burned." Rudy sighed and met Jim's anxious eyes. "I'm afraid we'll have to amputate. The hands are burned to the bone and there's nerve damage up past the elbow."

Jim paled and staggered back landing heavily in a chair. "Oh my God," he whispered, covering his face with his hands.

Dr. Wells sighed. "I'm afraid that's not all. When the device discharged the electromagnetic pulse, it affected his headset causing a brief power surge before it burned out. That surge caused the burns to the right side of his face." Rudy gazed sympathetically down at Ellison. "His right eye is… well, it's gone. And the high voltage also blew the eardrum and fried the sensitive hairs in his cochlea. The physical damage to his face can be repaired with plastic surgery, but he will be blind and deaf on the right side."

Jim interrupted. "What about his lungs? He drowned a few years ago. He's already highly susceptible to infection."

Rudy tilted his head taking in that information. "His lungs are clear now, but we'll definitely need to keep a close eye on them. I'll adjust his antibiotics. There's one more thing," Wells paused not wanting to add the last bit of news, but he had to prepare Ellison just in case. "We won't know if there has been any brain damage until he regains consciousness."

Jim looked up at the doctor in anguish. "Brain damage? My God! Hasn't he suffered enough? I need to see him, to be with him," he demanded, standing quickly and moving toward Blair's room.

Rudy nodded and let him pass. The doctor turned to Jaime and Steve. "Any word from Oscar?"

Steve shook his head. "Will you be able to help him?"

Wells tilted his head. "I think so. The damage is… well, I would have to go to the shoulders. It's the eye and ear that have me worried. I'm not sure what damage may have been done to his brain. He may not be able to handle the surgery required to implant the components."

Jaime gripped Rudy's shoulder comfortingly. "You'll do your best, as always Rudy. Right now we have to wait for Oscar to work his magic with the committee."

Rudy nodded again then glanced around. "I thought Kate was with you."

"No," Steve said with a grim smile, "she went with Oscar to help plead Blair's case."

"Damn bureaucrats!" Goldman grumbled as he strode through the halls. Kate almost had to go bionic to keep up with him.

"Hey, at least they finally agreed," she consoled.

"Hmph! Only if he regains consciousness first and isn't impaired," Oscar replied as they rounded the last corner and saw Steve and Jaime. "Where's Rudy?" Goldman demanded.

"He went to check on something," Steve replied standing. "What did they say?"

"Oh they agreed that Sandburg's actions deserve a medal," Oscar replied sarcastically. "But they feel they need more than heroics to justify the bionics."

Kate rolled her eyes at her uncle's dramatics. "They want Ellison and Sandburg to join OSI, if only for specific missions."

"Well," Jaime replied, "first we have to sell this to Jim. Then we can worry about the payback."

Jim sat by Blair's bed not knowing where to touch his friend. He'd normally hold his hand or wrist, but that just wasn't an option now. The second most touched spot would be the top of Blair's head and brow, but the burns, now covered with bandages, extended up into the hairline and it didn't feel right to sit on the left and pretend the damage wasn't there.

So, the Sentinel found himself resting his hand on Blair's chest above his heart, monitoring pulse and respiration at the same time.

"Ah, Chief," he sighed. "This is all my fault. I should have told Goldman to take a hike when he talked to us in Simon's office. This should never have happened." He watched Blair's face, hoping his friend would regain consciousness, but dreading the pain Blair would be in if he did.

"Jim," Steve said, poking his head in the door. "Can we talk to you for a minute?"

Jim frowned. "I don't want to leave him alone."

"Just for a minute, it's about Blair's treatment."

Ellison nodded reluctantly. He rose and brushed his hand lightly over Blair's hair before placing a soft kiss on his brother's brow. "I'll be right back Blair." He headed for the door that Steve held open for him. Jim stopped suddenly and turned back toward the bed. "Chief?"

Blair moaned softly, his head moving slightly at the sound of Jim's voice. "J'm?" he breathed out.

Jim raced back to the left side of the bed so that Blair could see him with his good eye. "I'm right here, Blair," he responded, putting his hand along the side of his Guide's neck.

Blair's eyelid fluttered and finally opened. The first thing he saw was Jim leaning over him looking worried to death. Then the pain that had been eating at him, even in his unconscious state, hit full force. "God! Jim," Blair cried, his forehead wrinkled with agony and his body strained upward against the straps holding him in the bed. "Make it stop! Please!"

"Easy, Blair," Jim soothed desperately. He glanced up at Steve. "Get Wells in here now!" Jim demanded then turned all of his attention back to his brother. "Blair, hold on, buddy. The doctor will get you something for the pain. Just breathe, Blair, that's it."

Blair latched onto Jim's voice and tried to raise his arm to catch his brother's hand, but that only made the pain worse. "Ahh! Jim!"

Jim fought the urge to gather his friend into his arms, instead he gently squeezed the side of Blair's neck to let him feel his hand there and put his other hand on Blair's chest. He leaned over his Guide and pressed his forehead to Blair's. "I'm here, Chief. I'm not leaving you. Focus on my voice, nothing else exists, Blair. Just like you do for me, okay, listen to my voice. Let it drive out the pain."

He could feel Blair trying to do as he instructed. "Good, Chief. That's it. It's just you and me, kid. Breathe through the pain. I've got you."

Rudy Wells burst through the door at that moment. He took in the readings from the various monitors attached to Blair and then went directly to the IV line with the pain medications. "Steve tells me Blair is fairly cognizant of his surroundings?" he asked Jim.

Jim continued to speak to Blair for a moment, not moving from his position, even as he answered the doctor. "He recognized me. He seems fine except for the pain."

"Good," Wells replied as he injected the last of the medication into the IV port. "This will help with the pain and then we need to talk."

Jim, Steve and Rudy waited until Blair finally seemed to succumb to the medication. His body relaxed and he sighed. Blair opened his eye, searching and quickly finding Jim. "Di' th' bomb g'off?" he slurred his eye a bit glassy from the drugs.

"Yeah, Chief," Jim answered with a proud smile. "You did real good, kid. That was quick thinking."

Blair smiled and his eyelid sank slowly down and was almost closed when it popped open again. "Kate?"

"She's fine, Chief. Everyone's okay," Jim ran his palm gently across Blair's forehead. "Sleep, Blair. It's going to be all right, buddy." He watched as the medication dragged Blair back into a painless sleep, then sighed and sat down heavily in the chair beside the bed.

Rudy checked his vitals again then addressed Jim. "He'll sleep now. We need to talk, Jim."

Jim shook his head as he glared at the doctor. "I'm not leaving him."

Wells' authoritative gaze compelled Ellison's attention. "We need to talk about his treatment. I don't want to discuss it here in Blair's room. He may be able to hear us."

Jim closed his eyes wishing he could just wake up from this nightmare and everything would be back to normal. When he opened his eyes again Rudy and Steve were regarding him compassionately.

"All right," Jim agreed reluctantly.

Steve held the door for Ellison then he and Rudy escorted him to the doctor's office. The others were all waiting, Jaime, Oscar, and Kate.

"What's this all about?" Jim asked impatiently. "I need to be with my partner."

"We're aware of that Detective," Goldman said calmly. "However, we want to help Blair and since you have his power of attorney…"

Jim glared at Goldman. "You people seem to know an awful lot of things about us."

Oscar waved his hand, dismissing Jim's concerns. "Rudy how's your patient?"

"He regained consciousness," Wells replied. "And although he was in considerable pain, I have every reason to believe that any damage to Blair's brain is minimal. Nothing that would impair him in any way as far as I can tell."

Goldman nodded and addressed Jim again. "I can offer you a way to make Blair whole again, but it comes with strings attached."

Ellison frowned, casting his glance from Goldman to Wells then over to the other three. "No…" he exhaled weakly, so soft that only Kate and Jaime picked it up.

"Jim," Kate said moving to stand in front of the Sentinel. "Once he's accustomed to the bionics, Blair won't be able to tell the difference between his 'real' arms and the bionic ones." She shrugged. "Well, except that they'll be stronger and faster. The same goes for his sight and hearing."

She caught Jim's hands in hers. Strangely enough he didn't get the same feel from her that he did from the Austins. "Please, Jim. Think about this for Blair's sake. He has so much life ahead of him. I'm not saying he couldn't do just as much with prosthetics, but the emotional healing time will be much shorter with bionics and in the long run I promise you, he will appreciate your choice."

Jim looked at Kate. "You decided for yourself though, didn't you?"

Kate nodded, but deferred to Jaime.

"Steve made the decision for me, Jim," she said. "At first I was furious that he'd turned me into some side-show freak, then he demonstrated that he too had bionics. I didn't know about his injuries until that day. Couldn't tell that one arm was different from the other. That one eye was artificial." Jaime met Jim's bleak gaze. "I've never regretted Steve's choice. I won't say we didn't have some tough times, but I wouldn't change his decision."

Jim finally found his voice and turned to Dr. Wells. "What about my response to their touch?" he asked motioning toward Steve and Jaime. "Blair's my Guide, I… we depend on his touch… and the buzz…" Jim shook his head.

Wells frowned. Jaime had filled him in on the Sentinel. "The technology has changed since Steve and Jaime received their bionics. Although we won't be going with the nanotechnology we used for Kate, I think the effects you pick up with Steve and Jaime will be minimal with the bionics we'll use for Blair."

Jim ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know what to do. I wish I could ask Blair. When will he wake up?"

"I don't really want him to wake up before we do the surgery," Rudy answered gently. "His body has had a tremendous shock and is still suffering from the pain of the injuries, dehydration, and blood loss. The less he has to deal with the pain, the better."

"Can I…" Jim paused afraid that his request would seem too morbid.

"Go on Jim," Rudy encouraged.

"Can I see the bionics? Before, I mean. Can I see what they'll be like?" he asked, feeling incredibly selfish, yet at the same time knowing that this decision would be life-changing for Blair as well as himself. And Blair would not want to be encumbered with hands that he couldn't use to help his Sentinel.

"Sure, Jim." Rudy stood and led them all down to the lab where his technicians were even now working on the parts for Blair. "I had my people get started, so that the bionics will be ready if you agree," he explained as they entered the lab.

"The basic components have to be set into an outer shell that matches Blair's size, shape, skin tone, hair color," Rudy continued. "We try to make them as natural looking and feeling as possible, right down to body temperature and a pulse."

Jim watched the technicians in a glassed in area working on two disembodied arms. One of the techs put a probe inside one arm and the fingers twitched.

"Come over here, Jim," Rudy said. "This arm is a good example and we can power it up so you will be able to test it against your senses." He attached two electrical leads into the end of the arm and flipped a switch on the table.

Jim concentrated on the arm. He could hear a faint buzz, but it was so much less than what he heard from Jaime and Steve as to be negligible. He ran his hand over the arm lightly and was surprised to feel its warmth. The hair on the arm tickled his fingers, soft and quite natural feeling although he could tell it was synthetic. Jim trailed down the arm to the wrist and found the pulse point. He looked up at Rudy. "There's no pulse," he complained.

Rudy smiled. "No, only when it's all hooked up to a live body. Then the program will create a pulse to match the person's actual heart rate."

"How soon would I need to make a decision?" Jim asked drawing his hands back from the bionic arm.

"The sooner the better," Rudy replied. "Less chance for infection to set in, less shock to his system."

"I need to see Blair first," Jim said heading out the door.

"Detective, wait," Goldman called out. Jim stopped and faced the OSI director. "The oversight committee is willing to allow this for Blair, but they want to know that we can count on your help in the future if we need it."

Jim studied Goldman for a minute. "Mine or Blair's?"

"Both of you actually," Goldman replied. "Your abilities are just as useful as the bionics. You both have a wide range of experience. You're intelligent and can think on your feet." He grinned sympathetically. "Together, there aren't many situations you can't handle. The two of you are just the kind of people we need on our team."

Ellison nodded. "Let me talk to Blair and I'll let you know in a few minutes." He turned and walked more slowly back to his partner's room.

Kate looked at Rudy. "What does he hope to accomplish? You said Blair is out for the count."

"I think he just wants to have a few minutes to get used to the idea," Steve said, wrapping his arm around Jaime's waist and pulling her close, she leaned into him returning the hug.

Jim entered Blair's room quietly and just observed him for a moment before moving to stand by the bed. He rested his hand along the uninjured side of Blair's neck noting the coolness of his skin over the pulse point. "Jesus, Chief. How do we get ourselves into these situations? I don't know what to do, kid. These bionics seem so… I don't know… science fiction. Steve and Jaime seem to be fine with it. But would you? I love to watch your hands, did you know that? They're just as expressive as your face, your eyes," Jim choked on the words and cleared his throat.

"Blair," he whispered, leaning forward to rest his head against his Guide's. "What should I do?"

The Sentinel closed his eyes and reached for the bond he shared with his Guide, his soul mate.

_The jungle formed around him and Jim opened up his senses seeking the comforting presence of his brother. "Blair? Come on, Chief. I need to talk to you." He heard a low whine, but couldn't pin down the location._

_"Blair? Please. Let me help you. Where are you?" Jim called, casting about for any sign of his Guide._

_A sudden, intense pain in his hands and head brought Jim to his knees._

And he found himself gasping for breath as he staggered back from Blair's bed. Jim rubbed at his hands and shook his head to dispel the lingering sensation of his brother's pain. "Blair," he sobbed. "God, I'm so sorry, Chief," he said gently, resting his forehead against Blair's once again.

Tears leaked from beneath his closed eyelids and dripped onto his partner's face unnoticed by the Sentinel. He tried to block out the hospital smells and the smell of burned flesh and just focus on the scent of his friend. Finally, finding no satisfactory answers, Jim straightened and brushed a stray curl from Blair's face. "All right, Chief. I'm going to tell them to go ahead. I hope it's the right thing. I hope it's what you would want. If not… well, I hope you won't hate me too much."

Jim took a deep shuddering breath and one last glance at his brother as he opened the door. "I love you, Chief," he whispered, and then went through the door to change their lives forever.

**Cascade Burn and Trauma Center**

"What do you mean he's not here?" Banks bellowed. He was backed up by most of Major Crimes and the poor nurse at the admittance desk practically cowered at the glares she was getting.

"I'm sorry, Captain," she stammered. "We don't have any record of Detective Sandburg having been admitted. And I don't believe Life Flight has landed in the last hour or so." She bent over her computer console. "If you'll give me just a minute, I'll find out."

Simon scowled and turned away from the desk. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted Goldman," he grumbled anxiously.

"What do you think happened, Simon?" Joel asked quietly.

"I think they took them somewhere," Simon growled. "Someplace nice and classified. Damn it!"

Henri and Rafe frowned. "But Blair needed medical attention," Rafe protested. "They had to take him someplace to get treatment."

"Right," H agreed. "Taking Jim won't do them much good if Blair dies."

"I'll call Jack Kelso," Joel said. "He may have some insights into OSI and Goldman."

"Good thinking Joel," Simon replied. He pointed at H and Rafe. "You two dig around here, see what you can find out. And I want to talk to the Life Flight pilot, find out how I can reach him."

"Yes, sir," the detectives replied.

Simon turned back to wait for the nurse.

Jim watched as Rudy and his team rolled Blair into the operating theater. "How long will this take?" he asked.

"Quite a while," Steve replied. "Ten, maybe twelve hours. It's a complicated procedure. Rudy will have two other surgeons working with him at the same time."

"Jim," Jaime said, "why don't you let us take you someplace where you can rest and get something to eat? Blair will need you at full strength when he wakes up." She smiled softly. "And to be honest, right now you look dead on your feet."

Jim met Jaime's eyes with a dazed look. He felt like he'd been dragged down ten miles of bad road and any other cliché you might want to use. "Ah, shit!" Jim said suddenly, dragging his cell phone out of his coat pocket. "I need to call Simon."

Steve put his hand on Jim's arm. "What are you going to tell him?"

Ellison froze for a second then shook his head. "The truth. He can be trusted and I'll need his help to cover for our absence. I'm not leaving Blair here alone."

Austin nodded and dropped his hand.

Jim dialed Simon's number, took a deep breath and exhaled noisily as the call rang through.

"Banks!"

"Simon, it's Jim."

"Jim! Where the hell are you? We got to the Burn Center and they said you never checked in."

"Well, we didn't. Goldman had them fly us to an OSI hospital. They can help Blair better here, Simon."

"What are you talking about, Jim? Cascade B&T is one of the best in the country."

"Yeah, but they can't replace damaged parts, Simon," Jim replied wearily.

Silence.

"Simon?"

"Where are you, Jim?" Simon asked softly.

"I'm not really sure, sir."

"Can I get there? I think I need to be there with you."

Jim closed his eyes against their sudden stinging. "I'll check Simon, hang on." He looked at Steve. "Can…" Jim swallowed. "I would really appreciate it if Simon could join me. Do you think that can be arranged?"

Steve gave him a small smile and nodded. "I'll take care of it. Tell Captain Banks to wait in his office. We'll send a chopper."

Jim nodded. "Thanks," and put the phone back to his ear. "Simon, if you'll wait at the office, an OSI chopper will pick you up and bring you."

"Good. I'll stop by your place and pick up some things. It sounds like you may be there a while." He paused. "I'll get the full story when I see you, Jim. Meanwhile, you hang in there and tell the kid we're all thinking about him, okay?"

"Thanks, Simon," Jim said gratefully.

"See you soon, Jim." Simon ended the call and dialed Rhonda's number. "Rhonda, I need you to clear my schedule for a couple of days and get hold of Taggert. Have him call me on my cell. Thanks."

Back at the OSI hospital, Jim pocketed his cell phone and turned to Steve and Jaime Austin. "Thank you," he said. "Simon's a good friend. It'll help, him being here."

Steve nodded. "Come on, Jim. Let's find you a place to crash for a while and we'll get something to eat after you've had a nap."

Jim chuckled sadly, too tired and confused and emotionally wrecked to argue about taking a nap.

**Four hours later**

Simon stared at Jim unable to believe what he was hearing. That Blair's injuries had been bad, he knew. He'd seen for himself the charred remains of the kid's hands and forearms, and the blackened hole that had contained Blair's right eye. But what Jim had just told him.

"Unbelievable," he said, shaking his head.

"I didn't know what else to do, Simon," Jim met his friend's eyes beseechingly. "These bionics will give Blair back his hands and sight and hearing. How could I not want that for him?"

"It's just…" Banks slouched back into his chair. Jim's face fell, thinking Simon had a valid reason for refusing the bionics. Simon looked up and saw the stricken look on Jim's face. "No. Jim, of course you had to accept their offer," Simon clarified. "What I can't quite wrap my mind around is that such a thing exists in the first place. Hmph!" Simon rolled his eyes. "Course the same could be said for Sentinels, I suppose."

Jim smiled for a brief moment before the worried look settled back onto his face. "I hope Blair feels the same, Simon. God, I hope I did the right thing."

**Ten hours later**

Dr. Rudy Wells pushed through the doors from the surgery suite, pulling off his mask and gown as he went. _I'm getting too old for this._ He looked up and met Oscar's eyes.

Goldman smiled. "You did good, my friend."

Wells returned the smile. "That is one strong young man, Oscar." Rudy shook his head. "His vitals were all over the place, but he never coded on us. His brain waves look good and I believe he'll handle the implants just fine."

"Good. Ellison will be glad to hear that."

"Speaking of, I need to go tell him the news," Rudy said, continuing on down the hall to the waiting room. "Are you coming?"

"Right behind you, Rudy."

Jim glanced at Simon for confirmation that he'd heard Wells correctly. Blair had come through the surgery fine. Simon nodded slightly and turned his attention back to the doctor.

"It will take some time for Blair's brain to learn to interpret the input from his bionics," Rudy explained. "At first he won't be able to control his arms. His sight and hearing will be affected throwing off depth perception and balance until his brain becomes accustomed to the new feedback."

He smiled kindly at Jim. "Don't worry, Detective. It won't take all that long. In fact, his nerves are receiving input already. His brain just hasn't learned what to do with the data yet. It will help if you touch his hands and arms, talk to him, even before he wakes up."

Jim and Simon nodded, still a bit unsure.

"When can we see him?" Jim asked.

"He's being set up in our ICU ward now," Rudy replied then yawned. "Sorry. You can see him once they've got him set up. I'm going to clean up and get some rest. I suggest you do the same after you see him. Blair won't be coming around for a while. I'm keeping him sedated for the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours. And the pain medications will also keep him groggy for a few days after that."

Jim frowned. "I thought you said his pain would be minimal."

Rudy shook his head slightly. "His recovery will be quick, but initially his nerve endings will be raw and extremely sensitive. They need time to make the connection with the bionics and to heal. His body needs a few days of healing without the added stress from pain." Wells continued. "When you touch his hands or arms please be careful not to move them. I don't want him moving around, even in sleep."

Jim nodded again and found himself staring at Goldman.

Oscar smiled softly. "When you gentlemen are ready for that break, just ask the nurse at the ICU desk. I've instructed them to prepare a semi-private room for your use. Your bags are already there," he said, shifting his gaze to Simon.

"Thank you," Simon said. "I may have to take back some of the nasty things I was thinking about you," he said with a wry grin.

Goldman chuckled. "Don't be too hasty, Captain."

Barely twenty minutes later, Jim found himself following Simon to Blair's room. He was finding it hard to put one foot in front of the other. _Snap out of it Ellison! This is Blair, he needs you. What is your problem?_

Simon regarded his friend sympathetically. "Blair won't be awake for several days, Jim. Why don't we take advantage of that and get some rest ourselves?"

Jim shook his head afraid that if he didn't go in now he might not have the courage to do so later.

"Okay, then," Simon said, opening the door.

At first glance, Blair looked pretty normal. They had a strap around his chest and over his thighs to keep him from falling out of bed. The IV line still ran into his leg instead of his arm. The blanket was pulled up almost to his chin and two undamaged arms rested by his sides, two arms that by all rights should not be there.

"Wow," Simon breathed as he moved into the room. Jim followed as if tethered to the big man.

The right side of Blair's face and head were still covered in bandages. They'd been informed that the skin grafts were too delicate to be left exposed as of yet. Simon could see that they'd shaved almost half of the younger man's head. He chuckled softly. "Blair's gonna be pissed about that," he joked lightly, turning to see how Jim was doing.

Jim stood a few feet back from the bed just staring at Blair. He couldn't quite get a handle on his senses, they were spiking a bit and the dials kept slipping. He saw Simon's concern and took a deep breath. "They should have just shaved it all," he whispered his voice barely cooperating.

"It'll grow back, Jim," Simon assured the Sentinel, patting him on the arm. The captain then turned and placed his hand on Blair's new right arm. His eyes widened as he felt the natural texture of the hair and the apparently normal body temperature of the skin. "Wells said they would be very natural, but, I never imagined…" Simon slipped his fingers down to Blair's wrist and felt for a pulse. "Amazing!" he said softly. "Jim, you've got to feel this."

Jim moved forward as if through molasses. His senses started to focus on his Guide without his permission. He could see the bionic arms, see the all too perfect skin and hair on those arms, hair that was not in the right place.

The Sentinel searched for and found Blair's heart beat, comfortingly steady and strong. _What is that? Oh._ The slight whirring, buzzing noises coming from Blair's arms and head distracted Jim from the well-known heartbeat.

Jim reached out and touched Blair's left arm, barely putting any pressure on it. The synthetic hair taunted him. Jim pushed the thought aside and focused on the warmth of the skin. He put his other hand on Blair's forehead and found that the temperature of both corresponded well within the normal limits. He too found his friend's pulse point in the wrist and found that it beat in time to Blair's heart.

Smell spiked and Jim easily identified Simon and Blair. The smell of burned flesh was gone, thank goodness, but now something else took its place. Something synthetic, alien, not the Guide. Suddenly, Jim's stomach churned as his senses rebelled.

He raced out of the room and down the hall to the restroom, making it into a stall just in time. Jim retched, his body trying to bring up the non-existent contents of his stomach. Bile filled Jim's mouth as he leaned over the toilet attempting to control his nausea.

A warm hand landed lightly on his back as another hand offered a damp towel. Jim took the towel and pressed it to his face taking deep breaths. He turned, trembling with reaction, to lean against the stall wall.

"Take it easy, Jim," Simon said in his best imitation Guide voice. "Here," he pressed a bottle of water into Jim's hand. "Take a swig and rinse your mouth out."

Jim did as instructed, glad for Simon's quiet support and help. Ellison blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. Blair was the only other person who had ever offered this kind of unconditional friendship. Jim slipped down the wall, crossed his arms over his knees and buried his face in his arms.

"God, Simon. What have I done? What's wrong with me? I can't even…" Jim trailed off, mortified. _Blair's the one who's hurt here. It's not all about you, Ellison. When are you going to stop thinking of yourself and put your friend first?_

Simon knelt down beside Jim and draped his arm over his friend's back. "Jim. I'm sure Sandburg will have some long-winded explanation for what just happened when he wakes up. But until then, you're just gonna have to take your old captain's view as gospel. Okay?"

Jim looked up at Simon in surprise and waited for his captain's revelation.

Banks sighed. "Jim, you're exhausted, mentally, physically and emotionally. Your best friend was badly injured and went through radical surgery. Your senses are spiking, hell, I'm surprised you haven't zoned on something. It's no wonder you reacted the way you did. It was just too much too soon." Simon gave him a little shake. "Give yourself a break." He grinned. "Give me a break. I'm not cut out for this Guide stuff."

Jim gave a weak chuckle. "I don't know Simon. You seem to be doing a pretty good job to me."

Simon smiled back. "Come on, Jim. Let's go make use of that room Goldman set up for us." He grinned conspiratorially. "Maybe we can convince them to bring us something to eat too."

Ellison nodded and took Simon's offered hand to pull himself up. He met his friend's compassionate gaze. "Thanks, Simon. You're a true friend. Thank you for coming."

Simon blinked away the stinging in his eyes as the day's events took their toll on him as well. He nodded. "You're welcome, Jim. But I really couldn't have stayed away. I've got too much of my time and energy invested in you two," Simon grinned to show he was teasing as he realized that the tired man in front of him might not be up to catching the subtler signs of his affection for the unlikely pair.

Jim smiled shyly back. "A bed does sound good about now. I don't think I could stay awake through a meal."

"All right," Simon replied, steering Jim out of the restroom and toward the nurse's station. "Let's go find that room.

The next forty-eight hours dragged by. Jim spent most of the time by Blair's bed, wanting to comfort his friend, but unable to bring himself to touch the bionic arms. Simon spent the time silently supporting Jim and providing the sensory input Dr. Wells said Blair needed.

Jim watched Rudy as the doctor checked Blair's vitals late on the second day of his drug induced sleep. Wells nodded to himself and made a few notes on Blair's chart before he met Jim's gaze.

"I think we'll start to reduce the sedative tomorrow. Blair's doing well. His lungs are clear. He does have a low-grade fever, but I expected that and it's well within the norm. I'll change the bandage on his face in the morning before he wakes up." Rudy regarded the two detectives. "You have been doing the sensory exercises I suggested?"

Simon saved Jim from answering. "Yes, Doctor." He gave a half grin. "Blair twitched his fingers a few hours ago."

Rudy smiled. "Good. That's very good. Once he's awake, we'll work on a more specific program to establish the appropriate pathways." He stared at Ellison thoughtfully. "You need to get some sleep tonight, son."

Jim nodded distractedly, his focus back on Blair.

"Jim," Rudy said firmly, drawing the Sentinel's attention. "Do you want me to explain things to Blair?"

Ellison concentrated on breathing for just a few moments then closed his eyes and shook his head. "No," he replied softly. "This was my decision. I'll tell him."

Wells nodded. "Okay, but if you change your mind or need any help, just let me know."

Jim turned back to face his partner and rested his hand on the crook of Blair's neck. Even Blair's shoulder now hummed with the bionics due to the way the arms had been attached. Jim swallowed hard and slowly brought his hand down to the bicep of the arm, Blair's arm. He flinched slightly and took a ragged breath as he pulled his hand back.

The Sentinel looked up and saw Simon and Rudy watching him. "I just have to get used to it, that's all," Jim said, trying to convince himself more so than the others.

"Of course, Jim," Simon agreed.

Dr. Wells nodded. "It'll be easier when Blair is able to use them naturally. Things will get back to normal faster for both of you then. Get some rest, gentlemen. Tomorrow's going to be a long day," Rudy said as he turned to leave the room.

**The next morning**

Jim and Simon watched as Dr. Wells removed the bandages on Blair's head. After the eye and ear implants were in place, the plastic surgeon had worked on restoring the burned skin and features on the right side of Blair's face while Rudy and the other surgeon worked on the arms.

Blair's ear had been melted to a nub. The surgeon had taken a mold of the left ear and made a new right one with the same tissue used for the skin on the bionic arms, thus creating an ear that would maintain a normal body temperature.

Replacing the missing eyelid was a little trickier. There they had resorted to nanotechnology, grafting a piece of muscle and skin rigged with the tiny nanites to the healthy tissue. The same device that controlled and monitored input to and from the bionic eye was going to be used to control the nanites in the eyelid. This would allow for normal blink responses.

The tear duct in Blair's right eye had also been destroyed, but was replaced by an artificial duct to help keep the bionic eye lubricated. The entire area was bruised and swollen, but Dr. Wells seemed pleased with the results.

The skin grafts to the rest of Blair's injuries seemed to be healing well. The surgeon had taken a few small patches of skin from Blair's abdomen to match the softer facial tissue as well as allow more normal beard growth in the right places. It might come in a little patchy at first, but with regular shaving the growth would thicken up and seem more natural.

Rudy made satisfied noises as he examined Blair's face then replaced the bandages. He did a few tests on the bionic arms then turned to Jim and Simon. "I expect the medication to start wearing off within a few hours. He won't be completely coherent, but will need your reassurances. Let the nurse know when he comes to, please."

Jim and Simon nodded and Wells left the room.

Simon took Blair's hand in his and looked at Jim. "Goldman's going to talk to the Chief and request the two of you for a special assignment." Ellison looked up in surprise. Banks shrugged. "It seemed like the best way to cover for your extended absence. Blair's injuries were only seen by our team, the OSI people and the emergency crew. Goldman's got that covered and I'll talk to our guys. Goldman agreed that since you trust the Major Crime unit with the Sentinel thing, they can be told about Blair's bionics."

Jim sighed. "We should let Blair decide when he tells them," he offered wearily. "At least give him some small semblance of control."

Banks nodded. "Right. I'll just tell them he's here for treatment and let them know he's okay for now." Simon regarded Jim thoughtfully. "Are you sure you don't want me to help explain things when he wakes up?"

The Sentinel shook his head. "It's my responsibility, Simon," he paused, "and I don't want him to hide his true feelings because he has an audience."

Simon grunted. "Yeah, I can see him doing that. Okay, Jim, but once you get past the first part, let me help, please?"

Jim nodded. "Thanks Simon. Thanks for being here."

His friend grinned. "Where else would I be when my family is hurting like this?"

Ellison lifted his head abruptly, meeting Simon's dark eyes. A soft, shy smile played on Jim's lips.

Simon shook his head amused by Jim's obvious shocked pleasure at his statement. "I don't know why you're surprised that I consider you two family. You came after Daryl and me in Peru. Sandburg didn't really know me then. I don't think we even liked each other at that point." Jim and Simon shared a grin as Banks continued.

"You both risked your lives again in Rossberg and when Quinn kidnapped me. And those are just the really big ones. Besides all the time we spend together off duty. I spend more quality time with you and Blair than I do with my own family. Heck, my brother complained when I had to take a rain check on a visit with them last month because we," Simon made a motion with his hands to indicate the three of them, "already had plans to go fishing."

Jim's grin widened. "Well, I can't speak for Sandburg, Simon, but I know I can count on you in a way my 'family' never provided. I trust you with this Sentinel stuff and… well, I'm honored that you think of me as family. I certainly consider you part of my family."

It was Simon's turn to return the pleased smile.

"And I'm sure Blair feels the same," Jim added, casting a glance at his partner.

They spent the time before lunch talking and playing a rather languid game of chess. Simon went down to the cafeteria for a break and Jim took the opportunity to try, once again to get a handle on his senses.

He'd found that by cranking touch, scent, and hearing down to 'normal,' he could ignore the bionics. But Jim knew he couldn't live like that and Blair would have a cow when he found out. So, he'd been working at slowly raising one dial at a time.

Jim attempted to identify the sound of the bionics then push it aside to a 'background noise' level. He smiled with relief when it worked. _Okay, now smell_. Jim nudged the dial up one number at a time until he had the level back to his usual comfort zone. He identified the smell of the new arms, the synthetic skin and hair, and was a bit surprised to note an overlaying 'Blair' smell. _Hmmm, maybe…_

Finally, Jim put his hand on Blair's arm and started to turn up the touch dial. Synthetic hairs tickled his fingertips first, not so unexpected now. Then body heat and the slightly strange skin texture, all still sensations that Jim thought he could handle.

It was the next step, where he was able to feel the buzzing of the bionics below the skin that caused the problem. Jim's fingers began to tingle. He gritted his teeth and tried to isolate the feeling and relegate it to the background. His hearing spiked and the buzz became audible as well as tangible. Jim took a deep breath trying to find his center and the scent dial slipped sending the smell of the artificial skin streaking to his brain.

Jim clenched his eyes shut and jerked his hand away. He pulled his legs up so that his feet were on the chair and wrapped his arms around his knees as he stared despairingly at his brother's face.

That was how Simon found him half an hour later. Jim's six foot plus frame curled up in the hospital chair, his chin resting on his knees, arms wrapped around his legs, staring at Sandburg.

At first Simon thought the Sentinel had zoned. He moved quickly to Jim's side. "Ellison," he said firmly as he put a hand on Jim's shoulder.

Jim blinked and slowly looked up at his friend.

"What happened, Jim?" Simon asked, dragging the other chair up beside Jim's. He kept a close eye on the younger man as he sat and waited for an answer.

"I was trying to get my senses under control," Jim shrugged.

"Why don't you wait for the kid to help you with that?"

Jim exploded out of the chair, wincing as his stiff muscles protested. "He doesn't need to be worrying about me, Simon! Blair needs to concentrate on getting well, not nurse-maiding me through exercises I should have well in hand by now!"

Simon closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jim…" he shook his head, "yeah, I hear what you're saying, but… I don't know. I just don't know what to tell you."

Jim met Simon's frank gaze sympathetically. "Join the club Simon. I really don't have any idea how he's going to take all this. None at all."

**Several hours later**

Familiar voices filled his ears, seeming close and yet far away at the same time. His head felt fuzzy and his body heavy. Blair tried to raise his hand and brush away the irritation against his cheek, but for some reason his arm wouldn't cooperate.

He struggled to open his eyes and found himself with a rather limited, blurry view from his left side. "…'m," he murmured seeing his partner's solid form leaning over him.

"Welcome back, Blair," Jim rumbled hoarsely. "Take it easy Chief. Don't try to move around just yet, the Doc wants to take a look at you first."

Blair let his eye close. The lid seemed too heavy at the moment. He could talk to the doctor later. Right now more sleep seemed like a good idea.

Jim brushed his hand across Blair's forehead as his friend fell into a peaceful sleep. He sighed, but wasn't really in any hurry to discuss things with his Guide just yet.

**Early the next morning**

Blair had floated in and out of consciousness for the rest of the day and well into the evening. Jim stayed by his side except for the few times nature called and Simon or Dr. Wells insisted he leave to eat and rest.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when Jim detected signs of waking in his young friend.

"Jim?" Blair said groggily.

"Right here, Chief," Jim replied, grasping Blair's hand out of habit. He schooled his features and cranked down on his dials as the sensory input threatened to overwhelm him.

"Where…" Blair asked, turning his head a bit to try and get a look around the room with his good left eye.

Jim took a deep breath. "We're at an OSI facility. How are you feeling, Blair? Any pain?"

Sandburg frowned slightly. "Not really," he coughed and cleared his throat. "Drink?"

"Ah, sorry Chief," Jim said as he grabbed the pitcher of water off the side table and poured some into a glass. He placed a straw in the glass and held it so that Blair could take a few sips. "Easy buddy, not too fast."

"Thanks," Blair replied. His hands twitched a bit causing Blair to frown. "Jim? What… what happened?"

Jim took his time, carefully setting the glass down before turning back to face Sandburg. "What do you remember?"

Fortunately for Jim, Blair was still too fuzzy to recognize the delaying tactic.

"I was at the substation with Kate. We found the EMP device and… I took it to the lake, dove down with it…" Blair frowned thoughtfully. "I remember seeing the rock drop down beside me," he looked up at Jim wide-eyed. "Kate threw it from the edge of the lake," he exclaimed.

Jim smiled. "I know, I'll explain that in a minute. Go on, Chief."

Blair stared at his partner for a long moment then continued. "I was trying to put the rock on top of the bomb to keep it underwater. I hoped the water would absorb most of the EMP blast…" he shrugged then grimaced, automatically trying to move his arms again. Both hands lifted slightly off the bed.

"Jim?" Blair stammered his eye widening with fear. "What's wrong with my arms, man? They feel… strange. I can't… why can't I move them?"

"Blair," Jim said, trying to keep his tone calm and reassuring for his partner. "A lot has happened and I'm going to tell you everything, but I need to start with something else. Trust me, Blair? I promise you, you're going to be good as new," he caught Blair's gaze. "Okay?"

"I trust you Jim," Blair stammered apprehensively.

Jim ducked his head briefly, trying to collect his thoughts. He'd spent hours searching for the right way to tell Blair about the bionics, but in the end there was no right or wrong way, just the truth.

"The reason that Steve, Jaime and Kate could be harmed by the EMP blast is because they all have bionic implants," Jim said bluntly. Blair's expression changed from apprehension to stunned wonder. "Steve and Jaime actually have bionic legs and one arm a piece. Steve's eye and one of Jaime's ears are also bionic." Jim barreled on not giving Blair a chance to speak yet. "Kate was suffering from a degenerative disease. They implanted nanotechnology that gave her the ability to walk again, with the slight added bonus of being super fast, super strong and able to see and hear far beyond the normal range."

"Sort of like a bionic Sentinel," Blair said with awe.

"No," Jim shook his head, "not really. Touch, taste and smell are still normal. But all those nanites and the bionic implants are sensitive to EMP waves."

"Is Kate okay?" Blair asked suddenly.

"Yeah Chief," Jim replied, running his hand through his hair. "She was well away from the lake by the time the bomb went off. And you were right. The water absorbed most of the blast." He took a ragged breath as images of that day at the lake flashed before him.

"I didn't get away fast enough, did I?" Blair whispered.

Jim closed his eyes and shook his head. He put his hand out to capture Blair's, but pulled away just before he made contact unable to keep his senses under control with his emotions reeling. He rested his hand on Blair's leg instead.

"Jim. Jim, tell me," Blair insisted, his hands jerked up off the bed again as he attempted to reach for his brother. "What happened?" A look of suspicious realization crossed his face. "What did you do?"

"The bomb," Ellison croaked, "… I dragged you out of the water," he stumbled over the words. "I thought you had drowned, but you started breathing on your own." Jim stopped, he met Blair's good eye and stared for a second then dropped his gaze, unable to bear the look he knew would be on his brother's face. "You must have been right on top of it, Blair," he said quietly. "Your arms… the right side of your face…"

Blair moaned as he realized what Jim was trying to say. The bomb had been strong enough to power an EMP blast large enough to immobilize Cascade. _That much explosive… my hands?_ He finally recognized his limited view. _My eye?_ "Jim?"

Jim looked up and saw the despair in Blair's face. "It's okay. God, Chief! You're okay!" He lifted Blair's hands so that the younger man could see them. "See, good as new. It'll take a while for your brain to learn to communicate with them again, but…"

He trailed off at the sudden horror on Blair's face. "Blair?"

"What did you do? Jim? What did you let them do to me?"

"Blair," Jim beseeched as he backed away from the reproach emanating from his Guide. "Please, Blair, I didn't know what else to do."

Blair closed his eye. "Leave me alone. Please, just leave me alone."

Jim backed up all the way to the door. He bumped into it and fumbled with the handle. "I just wanted you to be whole again, Blair," he whispered through the tears that streamed uncontrollably down his face. "I love you, Chief. Please believe that."

Blair turned his head away from Jim.

The Sentinel opened the door and slipped out. He stumbled down the hall to the restroom and made his way into a stall. Jim sank to the floor and pulled his knees up to his chest as he rocked back and forth. "I'm sorry, Chief. I'm so sorry," he repeated as he stared unseeing into an uncertain future.

Simon entered Blair's room carrying two cups of coffee. He'd spent a good part of his break talking to Joel on the phone about the PRF and what was going on in Cascade now that the terrorists' latest plan had been foiled. Unfortunately the other bomb that Kate Goldman had reported was no where to be found. Joel feared it wouldn't be long before the remaining PRF tried another jailbreak.

"Go away," Blair said as Simon set down the coffee cups.

"Blair?" he asked, moving to the other side of the bed. "How long have you been awake, kid? Where's Jim?"

"I don't know," Blair answered sullenly, refusing to meet Simon's eyes.

Simon frowned. "Did he tell you what happened?" 

"You mean that he's allowed them to do some sort of experimental surgery on me? Turn me into a sideshow monster?" Blair spat out. "Yep. Sure did."

Banks took a deep breath preparing for battle. It wasn't easy fighting Sandburg, but this was one war he had to win. "You didn't listen very well then, Sandburg." Blair looked up sharply at his captain. "I know Jim told you that the Austins and Kate have bionics as well."

Blair nodded curtly.

"So I guess you think they're freaks too, huh?" Simon jabbed, deliberately using the 'f' word.

"What? No! Of course not…" Blair stammered as he realized he'd fallen into Simon's trap. "Damn it, Simon. Can't a guy have a little time to feel sorry for himself?"

"What's there to feel sorry about, Sandburg?" Banks demanded. "By the time you leave here you'll have two perfectly good arms, you'll be able to see out of both eyes and hear out of both ears. Not to mention the little fact that those new arms and hands are stronger and faster than any _normal_ persons are. And you'll be able to experience some of what Jim does, be able to see farther and hear more with the bionic eye and ear." Simon threw his hands up in disgust. "I don't see what you have to complain about. Your partner was looking out for your best interest. And believe me when I tell you he agonized over having to make the choice for you. Jim did the best he could. The best he knew how."

Blair looked away from his boss, shame clear on his face. "I… It was just too much Simon. God." He met Simon's gaze again. "Can you go find him? Please?"

Banks sighed and nodded. "Nothing's ever easy with you two," he mumbled to himself as he exited the room.

Simon paused in the hall. _Now where did he go?_ He knew Jim was hurting. The stoic Sentinel presented the world with a steely hard exterior, but underneath was a heart of gold. Pure gold, soft and vulnerable.

"Captain Banks," Dr. Wells interrupted Simon's thoughts.

"Doctor. Blair's awake," Simon advised the older man.

Rudy smiled. "That's great," the smile faded as he saw Simon's frown. "Jim told him?"

Simon nodded. "It went about as well as we expected. I think it would help if you could reassure him while I go find Jim."

"Of course," Wells replied.

Banks watched him enter Blair's room then looked back down the hall. "Now where did you get off to Jim?"

Blair struggled to turn and look at the door as he heard it open. "Jim?" he asked with his head turned as far to the right as possible. He could just see the top of someone's head over the bandage. _Too much hair, thinning, but too long for Jim._

"No, son," the man said moving around the bed. "I'm Dr. Rudy Wells. I think you have some questions that I can answer for you."

"You're the surgeon?" Blair asked, trying to lift his hands to indicate the bionics. Both arms jerked up off the bed slightly.

Rudy smiled. "Yes. I'm also one of the designers of bionics. I'm pleased to see you already have some motor function."

Blair's eyebrow slid up under his bandage. He opened his mouth then closed it and sighed. "Jim started to tell me what happened, but…" the young detective swallowed hard, "I didn't want to hear it." He met Rudy's gaze with one determined blue eye. "Tell me."

"How much detail do you want son?" Wells asked as he levered one hip onto Blair's bed.

"Everything."

Rudy pursed his lips. "All right, but I reserve the right to stop if I think it's too much for you to handle."

Blair shrugged, earning another grin from the doctor.

"You were caught at ground zero by the explosion. I believe you may have even still had a hold of the bomb," Rudy paused to see if Blair could fill in any details.

"I don't remember," Blair said with a frown. "Maybe."

Wells nodded. "That's to be expected. Anyway, your hands and forearms were severely burned by the blast. The EMP field affected your headset causing an electrical overload that burned your face. The wires in the frames acted as a conduit sending the discharge along the side of your face to your right eye and ear.

The tiny hairs inside your cochlea were burned and your eardrum burst. The impulse was hot enough that it melted your ear and eyeball."

Blair gasped and reached up to touch the right side of his face. He glared at his arm as it rose off the bed and stopped. This time it didn't fall back to the mattress, it just hung there. Sandburg glanced up at the doctor then back to his arm. "How do I control it?" he asked, staring at the arm as if it were an alien creature.

"Your own biology controls the bionics. They're hooked right into your nervous system. Even while you were unconscious your brain was beginning to recreate the pathways." Rudy pointed at the arm that still seemed to be stuck at half-mast. "All you have to do is concentrate to make it happen."

"Just 'will it,' huh?" Blair asked with a hint of humor.

"Basically," Rudy agreed. "Although it will take some time for you to have one hundred percent control." He went silent as Blair's arm made a slow, controlled decent to the mattress. "Very good, Blair."

Blair grinned at the praise then sobered as he looked at Dr. Wells again. "What about my sight? My hearing?"

Rudy cocked his head and smiled gently. "We placed bionic counterparts for the eye and ear as well, though I haven't turned them on just yet. I want to make sure you are healed before putting the extra stress on you."

"What do you mean, Doc?" Blair asked, concerned that he wasn't getting the whole story.

"You've been through the equivalent of five, no, six… major surgeries in a very short period of time Blair." Rudy ticked off the procedures as he listed them. "We had to amputate the burned limbs," Blair grimaced and couldn't suppress a shudder. Rudy lifted a second and third finger. "We surgically attached both arms. We implanted your bionic eye and ear and finally had to set the initial grafts for the burns on your face."

Rudy patted Blair on the leg. "I knew that once you woke the first item of business would be to get control of your hands and arms. A few months with one good eye and ear won't slow you down much."

"A few months?" Blair squeaked. "Just how long do I have to stay here?"

Wells' sympathy showed on his face. "I expect your recovery to take somewhere between four and six months," he held up a hand to forestall Blair's protest. "If you consider what that recovery time would be without the bionics, I think it's a small price to pay."

Blair closed his mouth.

Rudy stood up and gave Blair's leg one final pat. "You've got a lot to think about and need to get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow about your PT. Steve and Jaime can give you a better idea of what to expect."

"I need to talk to Jim," Blair blurted anxiously as Dr. Wells started toward the door.

"I know. Captain Banks is looking for him. I'll make sure he knows you want to see him."

"Dr. Wells?" Blair said tentatively.

"Yes son?" Rudy replied.

"Thank you," Blair managed to lift one hand. It twitched slightly before he lowered it again. "I may forget to say it later, so thank you for what you've done for me."

Rudy nodded. "You're quite welcome. I'm glad we were able to help."

Blair closed his eye as the door shut behind Dr. Wells. _I can't believe this. By all rights I should be a double amputee with a hideously burned face. AND blind and deaf on one side._ He concentrated on moving his fingers and thought he felt something. _God. Jim. What did he have to go through? He had to make this decision for me. A decision that will literally make all the difference in how my future will be. And I accused him of… what? Doing what he thought I'd want? Smart Sandburg. Really smart._

"Come on, Jim," Simon cajoled, practically dragging the man down the hall. "Sandburg asked me to find you."

Jim dug in his heels as they reached the door to Blair's room. "Simon…" he pleaded.

Banks took a deep breath and sighed. "Were you surprised by his response?"

Ellison blinked, surprised by the question. "Well, no." Blair had responded almost exactly as he'd imagined.

"Well, you should have been," Simon rejoined. "You know Blair better than that, Jim. He just needed some time to absorb the whole thing."

Jim studied the floor as his thoughts whirred. _Simon's right. I projected my own fears onto Blair. I expected him to respond as I would have. Why shouldn't he be freaked by the news that 'his' arms and hands had to be replaced by bionic ones? I was all too ready to accept the blame for the decision and bolted for safety when he kicked me out when I should have stuck it out and provided the support Blair needs. _Jim ran his hands over the top of his head. _Damn_. He looked at Simon. "I just can't seem to do the right thing by him, Simon. I want to, but I keep screwing up."

Simon grunted. "Welcome to the human race, Jim." He grinned wryly. "You know the great thing about friendship? We always get a second chance when we mess up."

One corner of Ellison's mouth turned up in a smile as he looked at the door.

"Come on, Jim. Let's go in and give Blair a second chance."

Jim's head snapped around to stare in disbelief at his friend. "What?"

"Well, he was out of line with the whole medical experiment thing…" Simon said.

"Simon," Jim growled half-playfully as he recognized his captain's attempt to lighten the mood.

"In, Ellison. Your partner is waiting for you," Banks opened the door and let Jim go first.

Jim cranked all of his dials down to one as he moved into the room just far enough to allow Simon to follow him.

"Jim?" Blair asked, trying to turn and see the door.

"Can I come in, Chief?" Jim asked uncertainly.

"Please?" Blair replied his right hand lifted off the bed a few inches then sank back down.

Simon remained by the door while Jim walked around to Blair's left side.

Jim met his brother's gaze hesitantly, but saw only concern there.

"Are you two okay?" Simon asked. Two quick nods assured him that things would work out. "I'll be outside if you need anything."

The pair hardly noticed as Simon left. Jim felt the pull of his Guide along the bond they shared and willingly opened his mind. He instinctively grasped Blair's hand as he waited for the blue jungle to form around him. Instead a gray/white noise filled his head, drowning out the beloved heartbeat. Smell and touch spiraled out of control and the Sentinel fell into a buzzing abyss.

Blair sighed with relief at the smile that played across Jim's lips as they entered the bond. He'd been afraid that Jim would refuse to bond due to Blair's injuries. Jim caught his hand and sat on the edge of the bed in one motion. Blair briefly wondered at the fact that he could actually feel the warmth of Jim's hand in his as he entered the jungle.

"_This is the easiest way for us to talk about what happened, Jim," Blair was already saying before the last of the real world faded to blue. Blair glanced down at his hands and realized he was able to see out of both eyes here. Of course. On the spirit plane my mind would recreate me as I see myself. Whole._

_The Guide sighed then frowned. Where's Jim? "Jim! Come on, man, I thought you were right behind me."_

_A quick scan of the immediate area proved that the Sentinel was not nearby. Blair closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment trying to find the presence of his soul mate. Blue eyes, dark with worry, opened not a moment later. "Jim?" Blair called one more time before he turned his focus back to the physical world._

Blair opened his eye and saw Jim sitting stone still. "Jim?" The Sentinel's eyes were closed and his head was tilted just a bit, as if he was listening to something. Blair tried to squeeze Jim's hand and felt his own fingers move. "Jim. Are you zoned on something?" he asked aloud. _Doesn't really look like a zone._ The Guide was so focused on his friend that he didn't even realize he'd moved his other hand across to grab Jim's wrist.

"Come on, Jim. This is not the way to reassure your partner, man." He gave the Sentinel a little shake and continued his usual zone mantra, but nothing seemed to be working. Blair sighed and stopped for a moment, studying his brother carefully as he thought.

Jim looked tired. Dark circles under his eyes and worry lines that usually weren't so visible made him look older than his years. For just a moment, Blair had a flash of what it would have been like to be in Jim's shoes, how he would have felt and reacted if Jim had been the one injured so severely.

"Ah, Jim. I'm sorry, my brother," Blair sighed. "Where are you?" he asked with a frown. "Simon!" Blair called as he remembered that their captain was waiting just outside. "Simon! Help!"

The door opened quickly and Simon walked straight over to the bed. "What's wrong?"

Blair lifted his hand toward Jim. "He's not zoned, but… I don't know what's wrong, Simon. Has he been exposed to anything?"

Simon got a strange look on his face. His eyes drifted down to where Blair's hand still lay in Jim's. "He's been having trouble adjusting to the sensory input from the bionics," Banks said simply.

The Guide's eye widened with sudden understanding. "Damn."

"He's been working on exercises to minimize the input to background noise," Simon shrugged, indicating that it hadn't done much good.

"Simon," Blair said softly, "would you move my hand out of Jim's."

Simon frowned. He could see that their hands were clasped. "Didn't you just move the other one?"

Blair nodded. "Yeah, but I didn't even have to think about it." He looked a bit embarrassed as he continued. "Now they don't want to cooperate."

Banks grinned and shook his head as he moved Blair's hand, separating the Sentinel and Guide. "You two are quite a pair, you know."

Blair nodded again. "Yeah, yeah, so you've said." He took a deep breath. "Can you tell me what specifically is causing him trouble?"

"You name it, touch, smell, sight, hearing," Simon shrugged. "He didn't say anything about taste…"

The Guide's eye narrowed thoughtfully. "Would you bring that coffee over here, please?" Simon complied. "Now just put a couple of drops in his mouth."

"And how do you expect me to do that, Sandburg?" Simon asked, uncomfortable with the knowledge that he was the one who would have to bring the Sentinel around, even if the Guide was assisting.

"The stir sticks are hollow, Simon," Blair said calmly. "Just capture a few drops inside and put the stick between his lips. It shouldn't take much."

The captain followed the instructions and they both watched the Sentinel hopefully. After just a few moments, Jim's stiff posture relaxed a bit. He licked his lips and swallowed, then opened his eyes.

"Jim?" Blair asked, just barely resisting the urge to touch his friend.

"Blair? What…" Jim saw Simon standing beside him. "Did I zone?"

"No," Blair replied. "At least I don't think it was a zone. Why didn't you tell me you were having trouble with your senses around the bionics?"

Jim stared at his partner then glanced up at Simon. "I thought that's what we were trying to do," he said, referring to the aborted bonding session. "At least that's what I wanted to do, explain everything and let you work through your feelings about the whole thing." Ellison surged to his feet unable to remain still. Frustration flowed off of him as he paced the room.

"I can't even bond with you, because when my senses focus on my Guide they overload on the input from the bionics."

Simon moved toward the door. "I'm just going to go back outside," he said. He closed the door quietly behind him.

"I didn't know you would have trouble, Jim," Blair explained. "I was just glad you didn't protest the bond on the grounds that I was too weak from my injuries. You should have told me…"

"I didn't know it would interfere with the bond, Blair!" Jim denied. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and faced his Guide. "Sure, I've been having a little trouble controlling my senses around you. I'm so used to being able to check in on you, to evaluate your well-being," he threw his hands up. "It's almost second nature to me. Like breathing, I don't even think about it anymore."

"Jim…"

"Wait, let me finish, Chief," Jim pleaded. "I knew the bionics might cause me some difficulties. Jaime touched me while I was trying to find you in the compound and I had a… a white out. It hurt." Blair frowned, but Jim just shook his head and continued. "I made the choice for the surgery knowing that it would affect us, but…" he exhaled noisily. Desperation tinged his voice. "I had the chance to make you whole, Blair. It didn't matter what the cost might be, only that you have the chance to be everything you're supposed to be." Slate blue eyes met one stormy blue eye, begging for understanding.

They held the gaze for a long moment before Blair nodded and offered a small, reassuring smile. "Okay, Jim. It's going to be all right. We can work through this. You can do it."

Jim half shrugged, unconvinced.

"_I_ know you can, Sentinel. Your Guide will help you."

The Sentinel swallowed. "Your Sentinel, Guide," he replied with relief. They would work it out. Together.

**Two months later**

**OSI Facility**

Steve Austin spoke while Blair worked through the hand control exercises.

"Eventually it will become second nature, Blair," Steve said. "Your basic control is good, but the fine motor skills will need a lot of practice." He grinned wryly as he glanced at the pile of broken pencils on the table.

"I know," Blair groaned as he carefully traced the letters on the page. "It's just so frustrating. I can break a four by four with one hand, but I can't write my own name without pushing the damn pencil through the desk."

Steve chuckled. "Just think of it as a new skill. Practice makes perfect. Maybe Jaime will hook you up with one of her fancy keyboards. If you type like she does, you'll need it."

Blair looked up at the former astronaut. "How long did it take you to adjust? For the bionics to become a normal part of your responses so that you didn't have to concentrate so hard on every little move you make? When will I be able to use my new arms and hands without having to think about it?" he asked urgently, his arms making aborted motions that were a shadow of his normal expressiveness.

Austin frowned. "That was a long time ago," he said thoughtfully. "I'd say it was a good six months, although I remember a few accidents even after I'd left the hospital. I don't think Oscar ever really forgave me for pulling the door off of his beloved sports car."

The two men shared a brief laugh then Blair turned back to the task at hand.

Later that day, Jim and Blair shared a quiet meal in Blair's room. They had continued to work on helping the Sentinel acclimatize to his Guide's bionics with varied success. Blair insisted that Jim sleep in a room of his own, so that he could rest more easily. Simon had returned to Cascade several days after Blair woke, but managed to visit on the weekends and kept the pair up to date on things back home.

Blair had decided to let Simon tell the rest of the Major Crime gang about the surgery so that they would be prepared when he was able to return to Cascade. And although no one else was allowed to visit, they did talk on the phone frequently.

Jim picked at his food with his fork, glancing up at his Guide periodically then focusing on his plate again. Blair's bandages had come off after only a week or so and the new skin and features looked very realistic to the normal human eye.

Normal. Jim grunted softly. _Normal, right. But I'm not normal. _He couldn't help but see the fine, almost microscopic line where Blair's real skin met the graft. The bionic eye tracked with the left eye, but only gave Blair normal vision for now. His Guide's hair, shaved short all over before Simon had headed home, now framed Blair's face in tight curls barely covering the tops of his ears.

Ellison sighed, pushing his food around.

"Are you going to eat it or play with it?" Blair asked.

Jim looked up, startled. "Huh?"

"Your food, Jim. I don't think you've even tasted it, but you've certainly lived up to your spirit guide's rep for playing with its food."

"Oh," he replied, pushing the plate away. "Guess I'm just not hungry."

"What's wrong Jim?" Blair asked.

If nothing else, over the last few months, they'd both learned to answer that question.

Jim sighed. "I'm tired of being cut off, Blair. The exercises we've done aren't helping. I…" he stopped and met Blair's eyes. "I can be in the room with you without difficulty now, but I can't connect with you."

"You mean the Guide?" Blair asked thoughtfully.

"Yes! I need… the Sentinel, needs his Guide," Jim replied sharply, "and I just can't get past the interference. It's damn frustrating!"

Silence answered from across the table, but Jim could see the wheels turning as Blair tried to come up with a solution. Finally the Guide sighed sadly and sat back in his chair.

"I guess there's only one thing we can do, Jim," Blair said.

"What's that?" Jim asked hopefully as he leaned forward.

"We'll have to find you another Guide. Someone you can…"

"NO!" the Sentinel roared. He stood abruptly, his chair tipped over and crashed to the floor. "You are my Guide. No one else!"

The Guide stood and stared across the table at his Sentinel. "Then claim me Sentinel," he challenged.

Jim tilted his head to find his focus. The heartbeat he depended on to ground himself seemed muffled. The Sentinel filtered the white noise and the heartbeat once again came to him loud and clear.

The Sentinel's nostrils flared. Guide scent filled his nasal passages, the scent tinted with something 'not the Guide,' but still familiar.

He pushed the anomalous smells aside, keeping the important ones and rounded the table to grasp the younger man's wrists. Pulses that matched the sound of the beloved heartbeat throbbed beneath his fingertips, yet felt different through the strangely textured skin. The Sentinel, again, pushed the inconsistencies aside as unimportant.

The Guide stood still, his eyes on the Sentinel as the inventory continued. The larger man stepped closer, not relinquishing the hold he had on the Guide's wrists.

"My Guide," he growled softly, leaning in to scent the side of the Guide's neck.

"My Sentinel," the Guide replied.

Their eyes met and the Sentinel at once noticed that one of the blue eyes was not real, but the other eye met his gaze with such intensity that it did not matter.

The Sentinel brought one hand up to cup the back of his Guide's head. He gently pulled the smaller man's head toward him and briefly pressed his lips to the Guide's forehead adding taste to the sensory inventory. Then, the Sentinel rested his own forehead against his Guide's and opened the link between them.

"Your Sentinel, Guide."

"Your Guide, Sentinel."

_The blue jungle formed around him. "Blair!" Jim called out, searching the area with his senses._

"_I'm here, Jim," Blair's voice came through the trees._

_Jim pushed through the vines and found his brother waiting in a clearing._

"_I'm right here, Jim," Blair repeated with a smile. "Always have been and I always will be."_

"_Thank God," Jim replied sincerely as he reached his Guide. He caught the younger man by the shoulders and pulled him into a rough embrace. "Thank God," he repeated softly, soaking up the presence of his Guide, friend and brother._

"_I knew you could do it, Jim," Blair said softly, savoring their connection. "The Guide missed his Sentinel, too, you know. I missed you."_

"_Can you forgive me, Chief?" Jim asked backing out of the hug to meet his brother's confused eyes._

"_For what, Jim?"_

_Jim opened his mouth then sighed and shrugged not knowing how to explain._

"_For saving my life?" Blair ventured. "For giving me back my hands, my sight and hearing? Or for being an idiot and fighting your Guide's instructions?"_

_The corner of Jim's mouth quirked into a lopsided smile at his friend's wry tone. "Okay, so I'm an idiot. Can you forgive me?"_

_Blair laughed. He dropped his hands onto Jim's shoulders and shook him gently. "You're the dork, you know that, Ellison?"_

_Jim laughed in return. He pushed Blair's hands away and draped his own arm over the younger man's shoulders. "Is that an improvement over caveman, Chief?"_

_Blair snorted and shook his head, wrapping his arm around Jim's waist. "I'll have to get back to you on that one, big guy."_

**One month later**

"Just one more second, Blair," Dr. Rudy Wells said as he worked with a small tool to make an adjustment in Blair's bionic eye.

"This is like, so weird, man," Blair said, trying to sit still while the doctor poked around inside his eye.

"You think it's weird for you, Chief?" Jim asked, his expression a mixture of "Oh God, I can't believe I'm seeing this" and "Wow, this is too cool."

Wells closed the front of the eye and sat back with a grin. "Okay Blair. How's it feel?"

Blair blinked a few times then shrugged. "It feels fine. How do I get the 'super vision' to work?"

Rudy grinned. "It's just like with your arms and hands. You'll have to learn to control the responses."

"Okay," Blair agreed, nodding his understanding. "What about my ear? I am so tired of feeling lopsided."

The doctor shook his head. "Not yet. You'll need a little time to get used to the input from your eye. Give it a few weeks."

"Weeks?" Blair blurted. "Come on, Doc. You yourself admitted I've adjusted to the bionics faster than you expected. I want to go home."

"Blair," Jim said softly.

The Guide turned toward his Sentinel. His eye suddenly focused down to the microscopic and Blair got a close up view of the threads in Jim's shirt. "Whoa!" he said, closing his eyes and shaking his head against the vertigo.

"Easy, Blair," Wells said, catching the young man by the shoulders. "I told you, it's going to take a little time for you to learn to control the responses. I'll keep track of your progress and when I think you're ready, we'll turn on the ear. Not before." He caught Blair's defiant gaze with his own determined one.

Finally, Blair sighed and nodded. "Okay. Geesh, did you take stubborn lessons from Jim or something?"

Wells and Jim chuckled.

"Actually, Chief," Jim said, "the Doc's been giving me a few pointers."

"Ah, man," Blair exclaimed unable to keep the grin off his face.

**One week later**

Dr. Wells crossed his arms and looked at Blair. "Okay, show me that you have control of the eye and I'll turn on the bionics in your ear," he said doubtfully.

Jim stood beside his partner, an equally doubtful look on his face. He was there to confirm what Blair saw.

"What do you want me to do?" Blair asked.

Rudy sighed. "Jim, I'm going to let you control this test. Pick a target, something you can see and then have Blair describe something about it."

Ellison nodded and focused his sight through the window. "All right, Blair, do you see the red Mazda in the parking lot across the way?" Blair nodded. "What's the license plate number?"

Blair grinned. "That's too easy, Jim. Z2 WJ74."

"Now read the bottom line of that poster on the wall by the door," Jim requested, pointing at the poster he was referring to.

Sandburg followed Jim's direction and focused on the poster. He squinted a bit then spoke. "Copyright 1999, Benson Printing Company, Ohio." Blair closed his eyes for a split second then looked at Jim with a grin.

The Sentinel wasn't through yet. "How many holes are there in the yellow connection on that machine?" Jim pointed at the blood pressure monitor.

Again, Blair focused his sight. "Seven," he responded.

"Now stand up," Jim insisted.

"What?" Blair asked.

"Stand up. Now!" the Sentinel demanded.

Blair bolted up out of his chair, frustration and confusion both flitting across his face. They were replaced by dismay as Blair realized his legs weren't going to hold him. Dizziness overcame him and his knees began to buckle.

"Easy, Chief," Jim said gently as he caught the younger man by the arm and helped him into a chair. "I'm sorry, Blair," he whispered.

Dr. Wells nodded. "I'm sorry, son, but although you're able to control the distances the eye can focus at, you still need to adjust to the effect that has on your equilibrium. If you think this is bad, wait until you have to deal with hearing things from three floors away." Rudy regarded Blair sympathetically. "Let's give it another week or two."

Blair glared up at the doctor and Jim. He pushed himself carefully to his feet and stalked out of the room without saying another word.

Rudy glanced at Jim.

"He'll be okay," Jim said. "He just needs to process." The Sentinel hurried out into the hall after his Guide.

"Hey, Chief," Jim called. "Wait up." He jogged down the hall, not having to go far to catch Blair. "I'm sorry, Blair. It's for your own good though."

"I don't want to hear it Jim," Blair said, concentrating on each step as his balance was still off. "So, talk into this ear," he continued sarcastically pointing to his bionic ear.

Jim snorted then rolled his eyes. "Funny, Junior. Didn't realize they'd included a bionic funny bone with the other hardware."

Blair stopped suddenly and turned to face his partner. The quick move brought on another wave of dizziness and Jim reached out to steady his friend.

"Damn it, Jim!" Blair growled, pushing Jim away.

The older man slammed into the wall three feet behind him. His head connected with a thunk and Jim slid unceremoniously down to the floor.

"Oh God!" Blair exclaimed, rushing to kneel by his brother. "Jim! I'm sorry. Jim," he pleaded, cupping a hand behind Jim's head. He could feel moisture on his fingers. Blair pulled his hand back and saw blood. "Dr. Wells! Someone! Help!" he shouted quickly before turning all his attention back to his Sentinel.

"Jim, come on. God, what have I done?" Blair turned his head to see Rudy and one of the orderlies running toward them. "Hurry."

"What happened?" Rudy asked, kneeling to check Jim.

"I got angry and shoved him," Blair replied distraught. "I didn't mean to, but… I guess…"

"Your bionics kicked in," Rudy said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," Blair replied raggedly. "Is he going to be okay?"

Wells checked Jim's pupils. "I want to get some x-rays and a scan." He addressed the orderly, "get a gurney over here stat and make sure the exam room is staffed." The doctor grasped Jim's wrist to get a pulse.

Ellison moaned and started to move.

"Stay still, Jim," Blair commanded. "Just stay put and let the Doc look at you," he added his voice full of despair.

"Blair?" Jim muttered.

"I'm here, Jim. I am so sorry, man." Blair started to put his hand on his friend's shoulder then stopped. He stood up and backed away. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

"Chief?" Jim said again, confused by the bump on his head and the absence of his Guide. "Blair?" He looked around, searching anxiously for his partner, but was unable to bring the scene into focus.

"I think he's got a concussion," Wells said, keeping a hand on the Sentinel to keep him from getting up.

"God," Blair whispered, afraid to move, afraid to hurt his friend again.

"Blair?" Jim asked frantically.

"Blair," Wells snapped, "get down here and keep him calm. Now."

"I…" Blair took a deep breath and knelt beside his brother. "Jim. I'm here Jim." He put a tentative hand on Jim's arm, being careful not to put too much pressure on it.

Jim's hand lurched out and caught onto Blair's wrist. "Chief?"

"It's okay, Jim. Everything's going to be okay."

Blair sat in the waiting area. Dr. Wells had been in with Jim for almost thirty minutes. Sandburg leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, to rest his head in his hands. _What was I thinking? I could have killed him. I'm never going to get a handle on these bionics. I'll have to be registered as a lethal weapon. A danger to myself and everyone around me._

A hand fell on his shoulder startling Blair out of his fugue. He looked up and saw Steve Austin's sympathetic smile.

"I hear you've had a rough day," Steve said, taking a seat beside Blair.

"You could say that." Sandburg sat back with a noisy sigh. "Damn, Steve. I thought I at least had control over my hands and arms." He looked at the ex-astronaut. "I almost pushed Jim through the wall. I could have killed him!"

"That's true," Steve agreed. "But you didn't. And now you've learned a hard lesson about control." He continued when he saw he had Blair's undivided attention. "These bionics are a gift, Blair, but they come with a powerful responsibility. Of course, you know all about that kind of responsibility don't you?"

Blair stared down at his hands. "Yeah." He paused for a long moment. "This is why Rudy insisted that I recover here, isn't it? He knew that something like this could happen."

Steve shrugged. "We hoped it wouldn't, but given our track record," he grinned wryly, "yeah, we figured something would happen eventually."

Blair shook his head. "He can shut off the super strength, can't he? Just leave me with normal strength?"

Austin frowned but nodded.

Sandburg stood and started to pace. "I can't take the chance that I'll hurt someone again, Steve. My job is stressful enough. I can't worry about slamming a perp against a wall too hard, or maybe tossing some guy out a window when I was only trying to toss him over my shoulder."

"You need to think about this Blair," Steve cautioned. "Yes, Rudy can turn off the super strength, but it's really just a matter of time before you can trust your responses."

Blair turned sharply to face Austin, his eyes burning with guilt. "I can't take that chance!" He lifted his hands. "I almost killed my best friend with these hands… and he was just trying to help me!" Blair faced the exam room door again, shaking his head. "It's not worth it."

Just then, Dr. Wells came out of the room.

"How is he?" Blair asked, moving to meet the doctor.

"He does have a concussion, but so far everything else checks out." Rudy caught Blair's eyes. "He'll have one heck of a headache in the morning and be stiff for a few days, but I think he'll be fine. You can stay with him if you want. The nurses will be checking on Jim every hour to make sure he's all right."

Blair exhaled with relief. "Thanks, Doc." He went to the door, pausing for a moment before he straightened his shoulders and went in.

Steve met Rudy's gaze. "Blair wants to turn off the bionic strength in his arms."

"Damn," Rudy replied. He removed his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. "Were you able to talk him out of it?"

"I tried. But I think Ellison is the one who will have to convince him."

Blair spent the next twelve hours by Jim's bed, castigating himself. The nurses came in every hour to wake Ellison and make sure he was able to regain consciousness. Although Jim's early responses were slow and mostly incoherent, they did continue to improve through the night. By the six a.m. check the Sentinel was almost his normal, grumpy self.

The nurse made notes in the chart and left the room.

Jim turned his head slightly to get a better look at his partner. "Go to bed, Blair. You look like hell."

Blair couldn't even meet Jim's eyes. He just sat in the chair with his head bowed as he spoke softly. "I'm sorry Jim. I've decided to have Dr. Wells turn off the bionic strength in my arms. There's really no need for it. I'm just grateful to have two usable hands and arms." He paused, swallowed hard then continued. "I can't take a chance that I might hurt someone like that again. That I might hurt you."

"Blair," Jim replied gently as he eased himself up on one elbow. "It was an accident. You didn't do it on purpose."

"I know, Jim!" Blair exclaimed. He stood and walked toward the window then turned back to face his friend. "It's because I don't have control. Can I really expect to gain complete control? If my emotions are up and adrenaline is pumping, how can I guarantee that the bionics won't kick in and cause damage that I didn't mean to do? I can't take that chance with you or my friends, let alone complete strangers."

Jim regarded his brother thoughtfully. "So you're going to live with normal sight and hearing too, then?"

"What?" Blair asked sharply. "No," he said with a quick shake of his head, dark curls flying. "I can't hurt anyone with my sight or hearing."

"Sure you can, Chief, if you see or overhear something. Will you act on that information? If you do, it might change someone's life, for better or worse, either way, your decision may cause damage."

"It's not the same, Jim," Blair argued.

"Yes it is," the Sentinel insisted. "I've asked you to help me 'turn off' my senses several times since we first met, do you remember what you told me?"

Blair shrugged, not sure where Jim was going with this train of thought.

"You told me that they were a gift, something I was born with and that with time I could learn to use them to help people and do my job better." Jim paused to see if he was getting through to the younger man, the frown on Blair's face told him he wasn't. "Don't you see, Chief? With practice you'll learn to control your gifts just like I learned to control mine. In the end, you'll be glad for the bionics."

Sandburg shook his head. "It's not the same, Jim. You were _born_ with your senses. They're natural to you." He raised his hands. "These aren't real, they aren't part of me."

Jim caught his breath and bowed his head. This was what he'd feared, that Blair would resent the bionics and thus the choice Jim had made for him.

Blair continued, unaware of his friend's concern. "The strength won't matter Jim, I'll be fine without it. Really."

Ellison lifted his head, his eyes glinting with barely controlled passion. "Fine. They're your arms, Blair. Do what you want. But I want you to think about something for me before you go to Rudy."

"Okay, Jim," Blair said, taken aback by his friend's intensity.

"Let me paint a little hypothetical picture for you," Jim said mercilessly. "We go back to Cascade. You're all better, but no super strength. Life goes on until one day, something happens, an accident, a bust gone bad, it doesn't really matter what, but that 'something' puts one of your co-workers, one of your friends… me maybe, in a life threatening situation." Blair stared at Jim in horrified disbelief, but the Sentinel kept talking.

"Theoretically speaking," Jim said ruthlessly, "let's say it's a car accident. Heaven knows I've had enough of those to make it likely. The truck rolls over, I'm trapped inside and gas is leaking. An explosion is imminent, but no one can get me out because the door is jammed. Of course, you _could have_ just ripped the door off the hinges _if_ you had your bionic strength, but you gave that up because _you couldn't control it_."

"Stop it," Blair pleaded softly.

"Or maybe it's Simon. What are you going to tell Daryl? 'Sorry, man, if only I'd accepted that bionic strength.'"

"No," Blair stammered. "You don't understand."

"Blair," Jim said more gently, "you can control them. It just takes time and practice. I believe you can do it. Listen to me, your friend, your brother. At the very least, believe your Sentinel," he implored.

Blair sat heavily in the chair. "I don't know what to do Jim."

Jim sighed. "Blair, how did you rationalize the fact that you might have to shoot someone in the line of duty?"

Sandburg looked up briefly. "I made sure I could shoot what I was aiming for. I also know that if deadly force is called for, it's going to save the life of an innocent person," Blair answered quickly, he'd worked through all of that years ago.

"So, what's so different about this strength you have? You'll train and gain control and know when to use it and when not too. The only difference is that you can't holster it and put it in a lock box at night," Jim said adamantly.

Blair stared at his hands while Jim stared at him wishing he knew what was going on in the kid's head. Finally Blair raised his eyes to meet Jim's.

"You'll help me?" he asked uncertainly.

Jim smiled fondly. "Now who's being the dork?"

Blair chuckled.

"Of course, I'll help you, Chief, just like you've always helped me. Isn't that what friends are for?"

**Three weeks later**

"Awww, Jim, what's that noise?" Blair asked disgusted.

"What noise, Chief?" Jim asked, his tone laced with amusement.

"It's kind of a gurgling, sloshing noise," Blair described. "It sounds awful."

Jim grinned, he had a good idea what the kid was picking up. "Well, follow it to its source," he advised sagely.

Blair closed his eyes and tilted his head. Where Jim tended to tilt his head to whichever side the sound he was searching for came from, Blair always tilted his head to the left, turning it slightly to hone in on the sound with his right ear.

After a moment, the Guide opened his eyes with a grimace.

"Did you find it, Chief?" Jim asked straight-faced.

Blair swallowed. "Uh, yeah. But trust me, you don't want to know."

Jim laughed. "You'll get used to filtering out normal body sounds, Blair. Just remember what you taught me."

Sandburg rolled his eyes as the gentle rejoinder. He got a thoughtful look on his face and tilted his head.

"What are you doing, Chief?" Jim asked.

Blair shook his head. "Shhhh," he requested. Suddenly his eyes lit up and a smile covered his face.

"What?" Jim asked again.

"I can hear _your_ heartbeat," Blair declared triumphantly.

Jim raised his eyebrows in surprise then smiled.

"I can see why you find it soothing to hear mine," Blair said quietly, his eyes unfocused as he continued to tune into the sound of Jim's heart. "This is…" he trailed off, at a loss for words.

Jim blinked rapidly, deeply touched by the wonder in Blair's voice. "Yeah," the Sentinel agreed, finding the sound of his Guide's heart. "It is, isn't it?"

**Six months after the accident**

Jim pulled into a parking place in the PD garage and turned off the truck. He looked over at his partner. "You ready?"

Blair gazed out the front window. "Yeah. It's a little strange to be back, you know?"

"Yeah," Jim agreed. "But good."

"Definitely good," Blair agreed. "It's just…"

"Kinda scary too," Jim concluded. He squeezed his partner's shoulder then opened his door. "Come on, Chief. Everybody's waiting for us." As they both climbed out of the truck he continued. "Besides, as fast as your hair grows, no one will even realize it was all shaved off."

Sandburg rolled his eyes.

"Well, except for Simon," Jim teased. "And I guess anyone he showed those pictures to."

"What pictures, Jim?" Blair asked. Ellison continued through the door to the lobby. "Jim?" Blair called as he jogged to catch up. "What pictures, Ellison?"

Jim grinned evilly, ignoring his partner's question.

"Well, well, well," Sgt. Pat Riley called from the front desk. "If it isn't Ellison and Sandburg."

"Hey Pat," Blair said, returning the desk sergeant's welcoming smile.

"We were beginning to wonder if you two hadn't decided to change sides," Pat teased. "You know, maybe working with secret agents made you think you're too good for us now."

"Yeah," Jim grinned. "That's it, Riley. Only problem is that the spies didn't keep us supplied with donuts, so we left."

Riley and other officers in the lobby chuckled at that, allowing the pair to make it onto the elevator without further harassment.

Blair chuckled as the doors shut.

"Guess they missed us," Jim suggested.

"Sure they did," Blair said. "They missed the money they make off the numerous betting pools they have on us."

Jim laughed and ruffled his friend's hair then led the way onto the sixth floor when the door opened. "Here we go, Chief." Ellison pushed the doors to Major Crime open and stepped inside.

They stood just inside the bullpen for a moment, soaking up the ambiance. It looked like the entire crew was in house to welcome back their wayward friends. Henri and Rafe sat hunched behind a computer arguing softly about something. Rhonda was talking on the phone. They could see Simon in his office talking to Joel and Megan.

Several other detectives were working at their desks as well. Nobody seemed to notice the two men standing in the doorway.

"Guess we could just sneak back out and grab a late breakfast, Chief," Jim said, a little too loudly for private conversation.

"Sounds like a plan to me, Jim," Blair answered with a grin.

All around the room heads turned and popped up over the tops of computers at the familiar voices.

"Hairboy!" H called out as he rushed for Blair, beating the rest of the crowd. Blair suddenly found himself in a bear hug being spun around by a jubilant Henri Brown. Rafe was right behind his partner and as soon as H let go, grabbed the former anthropologist himself while H gave Jim a welcoming hug as well.

Rhonda knocked on Simon's window to get his attention. When he looked up she motioned toward Jim and Blair then hurried over to give her own welcome home hugs before the three in the captain's office could cut in line.

After numerous hugs, pats on the back and general welcome home greetings, Simon finally called a halt to the celebration and shooed people back to work. He ushered his core group of detectives into the conference room and shut the door.

Rafe and H argued briefly over who would sit next to Blair, only to lose the spot to Joel. Jim was already seated on the other side.

"All right gang," Simon chided cheerfully. It was good to see his crew back together again. "Just sit down, we do have some business to discuss."

Megan and Rhonda grabbed the seats across from Sandburg leaving Henri and Rafe further down the table. Once everyone was seated, they looked expectantly at Captain Banks.

Simon glanced at Blair who was busy pretending not to see the others staring at him as they pretended not to stare. "I think Blair has some things he wants to share with all of us."

Sandburg met his captain's eyes for a moment, uncertain why he was so nervous about discussing his bionics. The people seated at this table already knew, they just hadn't seen yet. Blair looked around the table at each of his friends. After a deep breath that he exhaled loudly, Blair began. "I know Simon already filled you in on what happened," he shrugged. "I guess I just want to assure you that I'm okay and answer any questions you have."

Joel broke the silence with a low chuckle. "The tables have sort of turned haven't they, Blair?"

Blair met Joel's supportive gaze and smiled. "Yeah, now I know how Jim felt telling everyone about his senses." He glanced at his partner. Jim smiled reassuringly and Blair continued. "It's actually a good comparison because I'm about where Jim was at that time. I'm used to my new abilities, but still tentative, and a bit weirded out by it all sometimes."

H leaned forward, his head tilted to the left as he tried to see the right side of Blair's face better. "Simon told us, but… It's unbelievable." He shook his head as Blair self-consciously pushed the hair back behind his ears. "I'm sorry, Blair, I don't mean to stare, it's just…" 

Blair gave Henri a small grin. "It's okay, H. You can look," he pushed up his sleeves and put his hands out over the table, turning them first palm down then palm up.

Megan reached out and caught one of his hands. She looked up at Blair. "It feels perfectly normal to me, Sandy."

"There's even a pulse," Blair said with a grin. "But they're not my originals."

Jim grunted and rolled his eyes at Blair's turn of phrase. Even after six months, he had a hard time with what had happened. Though his senses had finally acknowledged the bionics as part of his Guide's unique presence, his heart and mind still had a little trouble.

Rafe stood up and went around to Blair so quickly that Jim instinctively started to rise in order to block the approach toward his Guide.

Blair turned in his seat to face the other man. "Brian?"

Being the closest in age, Rafe felt a connection to Blair that he didn't with the others in their tight knit group. He had been right there with H and Simon when Jim pulled Blair out of the water. Only this time, Blair hadn't been dead but horribly burned. To see Blair whole and to all appearances as good as new was a miracle, but he needed… well, Brian didn't know what he needed exactly. Now that he was here, he could only stare.

Blair stood up, frowning slightly at Brian's lack of response. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Brian, are you all right?"

Rafe blinked and carefully took Blair's hand in both of his. He examined the hand, the fingers, and Blair's forearm. Then he lifted his eyes to Blair's face and tried to see any sign of the injury.

Blair smiled gently. "I'm all right, Brian. Really." He took one of Rafe's hands and lifted it to his face. "See? Good as new."

Brian brushed his fingers against Blair's cheek then pulled away and ducked his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered so softly that only Blair and Jim heard him.

Blair caught Rafe by the shoulders. "Hey man. It's okay," he assured, hoping Brian would look up.

Rafe just shook his head. "No," he replied, his voice low. "I'm glad they were able to give you the bionics. I didn't realize how realistic they would be." Brian looked up and met Blair's confused gaze. "All this time, I kept seeing you by the lake, the burns…" he closed his eyes briefly. "I guess I just couldn't wrap my head around what the captain told us."

"I totally understand that, Bri," Blair said with a smile.

Brian shook his head again, shame on his face. "You don't understand, Blair. I've been… I don't know… preparing myself I guess, to treat you like nothing was wrong, no matter what. I kept thinking, how are you going to get through this?" Rafe shrugged uneasily. "And now, here you are, looking like you were never hurt and I'm ashamed to feel so much relief because I won't have to try to pretend things are the same."

Blair pulled Brian into a hug which the other man returned after a moment. "Thank you, Brian."

Rafe pulled back abruptly. "Huh? Why are you thanking me?"

"For being my friend. For wanting to help me," Blair caught him gently by one arm and answered softly. "I can only imagine what it must have been like for you all to see me with those injuries. Just like I can only imagine what it was like at the fountain." As always, mention of the fountain caused everyone to squirm uncomfortably in their seats. "I can't know what it was like for you, but I do appreciate the fact that you all were concerned for me and willing to do whatever you could to help." Blair smiled gently. "I can only promise to try to avoid causing you such pain in the future."

"I'm holding you to that promise, Chief," Jim said, his voice rough with emotion.

Rafe held Blair's eyes. "Me too," he said finally.

"Okay," Blair replied, releasing Brian's arm as the other man headed back around the table to his chair.

Simon cleared his throat a second longer than strictly necessary to get everyone's attention. "I think we'd all appreciate it if you do your best to keep that promise, Sandburg." Blair grinned at the captain. "And the same goes for everyone else, too. Now, Blair, can you give us a run down of what we might expect, performance-wise from your bionics?"

Sandburg grimaced.

"He's not a car, Simon," Jim admonished.

Banks rolled his eyes. "I know that. I'm sorry, Blair. I'd just like for everyone to know what you're capable of in case the need arises. It's not any different than when you gave us the information about Jim's senses, is it?"

Blair shook his head. "No. You're right, Simon. But it's pretty straightforward. I can see and hear pretty much the same range Jim can, but only on the right side, of course. It's my hands and arms that are the big difference." He looked around the conference room for something disposable and finally settled on the solid, glass ashtray. "Maybe this will convince you not to smoke," he said with a wry grin as he took the ashtray in both hands and snapped it in half as if it was made of cheap plastic.

"Blimey," Megan exhaled.

Sandburg suppressed a grin then using one hand he squeezed one half of the ashtray until the glass shattered into small pieces. Blair opened the hand and dusted off the finer shards into the trash can. As he sat back down, Rhonda caught his hand and examined it for cuts.

"Amazing," she said.

"The skin is a special polymer, small cuts will seal up quickly and larger ones can be repaired by simply applying a little heat and pressing the edges back together," Blair explained. "I also have much faster movement. My typing is up to almost three hundred words per minute."

"So you're going to type everyone's reports from now on, not just yours and Jim's, right?" Henri teased.

"In your dreams, man," Blair shot back with a grin. He sobered a bit and added, "One of the drawbacks is that the bionics are linked directly to my nervous system. And, just like anyone else, if I get a rush of adrenaline that may affect my reactions."

"What do you mean, Blair?" Rafe asked.

"Well, an adrenaline rush increases speed and strength for a short period of time. It's part of our 'fight or flight' response to danger. In my case though, the speed and strength could be much greater than the need." Blair ducked his head briefly and looked at his hands.

Jim put a hand on Sandburg's shoulder and gave a quick supportive squeeze. "It's a matter of control, that's all," Jim clarified. "We all have to learn to control ourselves in stressful situations, especially if we are bigger and stronger than others. But we've lived with that our entire lives. Blair's only had six months to acclimatize to the bionics. And the strength and speed they give him are much greater. It'll take him some time to have perfect control."

Blair shook his head as he looked up. "To be honest, I may never have complete control. But I don't want to hurt anyone accidentally, so if you see me losing control, tell me. Please."

"Blair," Joel said, "you're one of the coolest people I know when it comes to being in a tight situation."

Sandburg snorted. "Maybe on the outside but adrenaline runs regardless of how calm I may seem. I don't want to do that," he pointed to the half ashtray, "to someone's arm."

"Point taken, Sandburg," Simon said. "Any questions?" Everyone shook their head. "Okay, then. We are still on a terrorist alert. There hasn't been any sign of the PRF in the last six months, but we're getting close to the hearing date for the members that were captured during the attempted jailbreak of Talbot and Reid. Check with your informants and keep your eyes open. That second EMP device is still out there."

Grim faces met his gaze as Simon looked around the table. They were all too aware of the danger.

"In the meantime, I want you to go through your case files and hand some of the newer ones over to Ellison and Sandburg. Might as well put them back to work ASAP." Banks grinned at Jim and Blair as they pretended to be shocked at the thought. "All right you clowns, there are criminals out there waiting for us to catch them. Move it."

Everyone rose and started toward the door, talking and smiling, just like old times. Simon leaned back in his chair and watched. A small contented smile graced his lips. It was good to have his family back together again.

**Several days later**

Ellison kicked at the door again, but it didn't budge. Sandburg leaned against the wall with a look of exasperation on his face. "Jim," he repeated, trying to get the older man's attention.

"I've almost got it, Chief, I felt it give," Jim said, backing up for another kick.

Blair stepped in front of him, one hand raised to stop his partner. "Jim," he said with thinly veiled impatience as he turned and gave the door one sharp hit near the handle. The door swung open and slammed against the wall. Sandburg stepped aside and waved Jim in.

Jim stared for a second then scowled. "Smartass," he grumbled as he passed. Blair followed him in with a grin on his face.

**Two weeks later**

"What's _he_ doing here?" Rafe asked as he came out of Captain Banks' office.

Jim looked up and around and saw Oscar Goldman heading toward him. "Detective," Goldman said, nodding at Ellison. "Is your partner here?"

Jim straightened in his seat and nodded slowly.

"Can you get him? I'd like to discuss something with the two of you and Captain Banks," Goldman explained.

Ellison nodded again and watched as the OSI man went to knock on Simon's door.

"Wonder what he wants?" Rafe asked Jim quietly.

"I don't know, Brian, but I'm afraid I won't like the answer." Jim focused his hearing on finding his partner as Rafe headed back to his desk. "Blair," Jim whispered once he found his Guide's location. "Can you hear me Chief? You got your ear on?"

After a moment, Jim heard a whispered reply. "That joke is so lame, Jim." Ellison chuckled. "What's up, man?" Blair asked.

"Goldman just showed up, Chief. Wants to meet with us in Simon's office," Jim replied.

"I'll be right up, Jim."

Ellison closed and straightened the files he'd been working on then stood and went to Simon's office. He knocked and opened the door. "Can I come in?"

Simon waved the detective in with a barely controlled look of displeasure. Even though he knew Goldman's appearance was inevitable, it was hard to accept. The last time the OSI man had come to his office Simon had almost lost one of his best friends, not to mention a valuable officer.

"Where's Sandburg?" Banks growled.

"On his way, Captain," Jim answered, recognizing Simon's anger for what it was, redirected frustration. He knew exactly what the captain was feeling. "I assume this has something to do with the PRF?" he asked taking a seat.

"I'd rather brief you all at one time," Goldman said, propping one hip on the arm of the couch.

"Oh," Jim drawled, "I'm sure Sandburg's listening.

Oscar pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I'll wait."

Jim shrugged and glanced at Simon. The captain leaned back in his chair and sighed.

A few minutes later, Blair knocked and strode into the room with a grin on his face. "Miss me?" he asked impudently.

Ellison snorted while Banks rolled his eyes, but allowed a small grin to touch his lips.

Goldman ignored the antics and dove right into the reason he had come. "We have information that the EMP device is still in Cascade and the PRF are planning to use it as a distraction to break their comrades out of jail."

"How did you get someone inside after that last time?" Jim asked suspiciously.

Blair's eyes widened with apprehension. "You didn't send Kate back in?"

Goldman shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "No, no, of course not. But she was able to contact one of the women she knew from the PRF and do a little tap dancing. After she explained that you and she had gotten nervous and headed for the hills until things quieted down, the woman was swayed to share the latest news." Oscar pushed away from the couch and began to pace.

"We don't know where the bomb is going to be used, but Kate got the location of their newest hideout. Steve and Jaime are there now doing surveillance." He turned to face the Cascade officers. "The PRF haven't had a chance to set up any counter-surveillance yet. We hope to learn their plans. I trust we can count on your help?"

"Well of course," Blair started only to be stopped by Jim's hand on his arm.

"Officially or unofficially?" the Sentinel asked. Blair frowned. "Remember the strings I told you about, Chief?" Jim prodded. His partner's eyes narrowed thoughtfully and Jim nodded. "They gave you the bionics, but only with the understanding that we would help them when requested." Ellison turned his gaze back to Goldman. "I just want to know if this is one of those times, or if you are really _asking_ for our help."

Goldman glared at him. "I assumed that since the PRF are in your town, you would want to be involved. Trust me, when I need you to fulfill your promise, you won't have any doubt as to whether it's voluntary or not."

An awkward silence filled the room.

Finally Blair spoke. "Okay, that was fun. Now why don't we talk about what we can do to find this EMP device? I, for one, do not want to wait until the last minute this time."

Goldman gave Blair an apologetic look then nodded. "I came to ask if you would help with the surveillance. Between the two of you, Steve, Jaime and Kate, we can rotate shifts and maybe catch some vital information."

Jim nodded his agreement then glanced at Simon. "Sir?"

Banks glared at Goldman for a long moment then nodded. "Just make sure I get them both back in one piece this time," he grumbled.

"Gin," Blair said laying his cards on the table.

Jim sighed and gathered the cards to shuffle. As he straightened the deck he stretched his hearing out to pick up any conversations going on in the house across the street. Kate's contact had given them the address of a house in east Cascade where the remaining People's Resistance Front were hiding out. On paper, the property was owned by an individual, but the money trail could be traced back to a number of dummy corporations that ultimately led to the PRF.

Over the last three days, Jim, Blair, Steve and Jaime Austin, and Kate Goldman had taken turns watching and listening on the off chance that they might discover the PRF's plans. The Sentinel and Guide had quickly fallen into a pattern of splitting the surveillance. Currently they were alternating, every other hand of Gin Rummy. Concentrating on the game as well as the house kept Jim from zoning and helped Blair work on his fine motor skills. Handling the cards gently while he focused his hearing across the street was sort of like trying to chew gum and talk at the same time. If you weren't careful you could end up biting your tongue, or in this case mangling the cards.

Jim dealt the next hand with a frown. He had caught just the briefest portion of a conversation on his first sweep and was trying to find the two people involved again.

"What is it, Jim?" Blair asked, reaching his hand out in case the Sentinel needed additional grounding.

Ellison grasped his Guide's wrist. Although he could center himself and use his senses just fine now without touching Blair, it was always easier and things seemed sharper when they were in physical contact with each other. "I heard something…" he replied distractedly.

"Where, Jim?" Blair asked softly.

Jim's lips turned up in a small grin of success. "Second floor, toward the back of the house. Two men are talking about… Damn."

Blair tilted his head and focused on the location Jim had pin-pointed. He found the two conversationalists after a moment, but by then they were off the topic. "What did you hear?" Blair asked.

The Sentinel sighed and brought his attention back to his partner. "You know the Tanner building?"

"Of course," Sandburg replied with no little sarcasm. Kincaid had tried to take the building off the map during their first unforgettable meeting. Blair's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding!"

Jim shook his head. "They seem to think that blowing up a building next to the PD would be the perfect distraction for freeing their brothers."

Blair sank back into his chair and stared at the table top.

"Blair?" Jim asked concerned by his friend's sudden silence.

"I'm just… Well, I guess I'm feeling… ah, this is silly," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"Come on, Chief," Jim urged. "You can tell me."

Blair was a bit embarrassed as he met his brother's eyes. "It is silly, but I sorta empathize with the building. I know how it feels to always be the one who gets beat up on."

Jim bit his lower lip, but couldn't quite keep the grin from lifting the corners of his mouth.

"Okay," Blair said, tossing his hands up in defeat. "Go ahead and laugh. But if that building could talk, it would be on my side. I mean what are the chances that it would be chosen by two different terrorist groups to be blown up?"

"It's just proximity, Chief," Jim said with a grin. "It's right next to the PD. That makes it a very logical target." Ellison stopped and his grin dropped quickly into a frown.

"Just stop that line of thought right there, Ellison," Blair demanded. "My proximity to the PD has not painted a target on my back. Nor has my being near you," he stated, poking a finger toward the older man. "Do I have to list off the times that the danger came from something related to me or Rainier?" He lifted a finger. "The drug lab in the warehouse…"

"All right. All right," Jim appeased. "I won't go getting all philosophical if you won't get scientific on me."

Blair grinned. "Good. Now when are they planning their hit? We need to let the others know so we can set up a solid defense."

The plans didn't quite turn out the way they'd envisioned. Oscar Goldman insisted that Steve, Jaime and Kate fly home. He did not want them anywhere near the EMP device, just in case. Goldman brought in replacement agents to help with the bust. This plan was grudgingly approved by the three disgruntled OSI agents.

Then Goldman tried to get Blair to leave with the rest of the bionic contingent. Jim and Simon backed the OSI man up and they all received a first class glare from the young Shaman.

"First of all, Mr. Goldman," Blair stated, slurring mister into an insult. "You don't have any jurisdiction over me. Whatever Jim promised you, it did not give you the right to dictate my whereabouts. Secondly, I'm not leaving Jim without his Guide." With that Blair sat back in his chair with his arms crossed, clearly considering the matter finished.

"Sandburg," Simon growled. "It makes sense for you to be out of harm's way."

"We don't know what effect the EMP waves will have on bionics," Goldman concurred. "Or the surrounding tissue. Getting caught by the blast could kill you now."

Blair lifted his gaze to meet Goldman's. "I'm not leaving."

"Chief," Jim pleaded.

Blair locked eyes with his partner for a long moment. "Okay," he relented, "if you come with me."

"What?" Ellison spluttered at the unexpected response. "I need to stay here. I'm not in any danger from the EMP waves, but you are. Please go."

"No, Jim," Sandburg argued with a shake of his head. "I'm not leaving without you. Besides, if that bomb goes off anywhere near us, the effect of the EMP waves will be the last thing we have to worry about. We'll just have to find the device before it can be used."

They all sat in sober silence for a moment. The intelligence they'd gathered indicated that this bomb was large enough to take down the entire Tanner building, not just collapse a few floors. An explosion with or without the EMP would be disastrous.

"All right," Simon sighed. "Let's get this plan finalized and meet with the rest of the task force."

**The day before the hearing**

**The Tanner building**

"Damn it, Jim," Blair cursed under his breath as he handcuffed the two PRF guys to the stair rail. He listened for his partner, heard running footsteps several floors below and took off after Jim and the two men the Sentinel had followed. _I suppose I should be happy that he trusted me to take care of those two idiots on my own. _Blair snorted as he skidded to a stop at the next landing to get his bearings.

"Jesus, Jim. I have bionic arms, not legs." Sandburg shook his head and continued his race down the stairs. It sounded like they were almost to the ground floor. _Wonder if I could learn to walk on my hands really fast?_

The door to the parking garage stood partially opened. Blair listened then peered around the edge. He couldn't see anyone from there, but he could hear the sound of a struggle. Blair entered the garage and pinpointed the source of the noise. Jim and one of the men were fighting hand-to-hand. The remaining man had just placed a large case on the hood of a car.

As Blair ran toward the three, he kept most of his attention on Jim's progress. The combatants seemed pretty evenly matched, but Blair had confidence in his partner. Then he heard the sound of a weapon being readied. His bionic eye zeroed in on the second man, offering Blair a close up view of the gun aimed at Jim.

Blair reached for the weapon holstered at the small of his back. Adrenaline and fear for Jim caused his bionics to kick in. As he swung his gun around into position, he felt the grip slip from his fingers. His bionic eye locked onto the pistol as it spun through the air, almost like watching in slow motion until his gun landed almost two hundred yards away.

"Damn it!" he swore, making a mental note of the gun's general location as he scanned the area for less conventional ammo. He spied several chunks of broken concrete and snatched them up. Blair threw one golf ball sized piece at the man threatening Jim with the gun. The concrete chunk hit the guy in the shoulder with enough velocity to throw the man to the ground.

A second projectile made precision contact with the thigh of the man struggling with Jim. Blair didn't wait to see what happened next, certain that Jim could handle his man. Instead he raced to his first victim, and found the man unconscious. The EMP device appeared to be unarmed. Blair focused his hearing, but found no indication of ticking or electronics to indicate a timer counting down. He sighed with relief and pulled out a zip tie to restrain the unconscious man.

"Thanks, Chief," Jim said with a grin as he dragged his man over to the car. "Is that the bomb?"

Blair nodded. "That's Prior," he said, motioning toward the unconscious man on the ground.

"A man who doesn't mind doing his own dirty work, eh?" Ellison scowled. He pulled out his radio headset and opened the channel. "This is Ellison. We've got the device and Prior in the garage."

"The other two are on the fifth floor in the stairwell," Blair advised.

Jim nodded and relayed the information.

**Simon's office**

"Well," Goldman said with a satisfied smile. "I think that just about wraps up the People's Resistance Front."

"Good riddance," Kate Goldman said over the speaker phone.

The sting, along with Kate's Intel had allowed them to capture almost all of the PRF members. Those who had escaped would have their pictures plastered on walls all throughout the United States.

"What about the EMP device?" Steve Austin asked. Even though the other three OSI agents were in California, they still wanted to be involved in the final debriefing, thus the conference call.

"No problem there," Simon assured. "Taggert and his people defused and dismantled the bomb as soon as we got it far enough out of town to be safe. The component parts are on the way to OSI headquarters to be analyzed."

"The further from Cascade, the better, I say," Blair mumbled softly.

Jaime, Kate and Jim chuckled understandingly.

"How did you do with the bionics, Blair?" Steve asked.

Blair sat up a little straighter as a realization struck him. "Oh, uh, just fine, Steve. No problems."

"Oh, Chief," Jim grinned. "One of the uniforms finally found this for you. It was under a car."

Blair's face turned bright red as he took the proffered weapon. "Thanks," he muttered, tucking the gun back into its holster.

Simon raised an eyebrow in question, but Jim just smiled and shook his head.

"Well," Goldman said as he stood, "I've got a plane to catch." He shook Simon's hand then turned to Jim and Blair. "I'll be in touch, gentlemen."

"No rush, Goldman," Jim replied, standing to shake the man's hand reluctantly.

Oscar smiled and held his hand out to Blair. "Thank you. You saved my niece's life at the risk of your own, and for that I am truly grateful. I hope you and Ellison will be willing to work with us in the future."

Blair smiled ruefully. "You know our number Mr. Goldman. But please, try not to make it a habit, we do have our own criminals to take care of you know."

Goldman chuckled and nodded. "Steve," he said toward the phone. "I'm on my way to the airport."

"Right, Oscar. I'll see you in a few hours. Blair, Jim, Simon, it was good to work with you. Hope to see you again under more pleasant circumstances," Austin said.

"Thanks for everything, Steve," Blair replied.

"Sure thing, kid. Be sure to call if you have any questions or problems," Steve said, ending the call.

Goldman nodded and with one last look at the Cascade officers he smiled. "Until the next time, gentlemen," he said then left the room.

As one, Jim, Blair and Simon let out a sigh of relief and sat down again.

"Boy, am I glad that's over with," Blair exclaimed wearily.

"Me too, Chief," Jim agreed.

"That makes three of us," Simon added. "But I do have one question." Four eyebrows raised in response. "How did you lose your weapon, Sandburg?"

Blair ducked his head as Jim chuckled.

"I, uh, ," Blair mumbled quickly.

"What was that?" Simon asked. "I couldn't hear you."

Jim's grin threatened to split his face as he tried to hold back his laughter.

"I said," Blair repeated a little slower, "that it slipped from of my fingers when I pulled it out of the holster. It went flying and I didn't have time to retrieve it."

Simon suppressed a grin of his own. "So that's why you beaned those guys with a rock."

Blair nodded, sending a glare toward his traitorous partner.

Banks shot a glance at Ellison. "What's so funny? You drop your gun all the time, Jim."

"He's right, Jim," Blair agreed quickly. "It's not that funny."

Jim chuckled. "Tell him where the gun landed, Chief."

"Jim…" Blair whined.

"What do you mean, Jim?" Simon insisted.

"The gun didn't just slip and fall a few yards from Sandburg, Simon," Jim answered, still grinning like the Cheshire cat. "It sailed through the air and landed on the other side of the garage."

Simon blinked, looked at Blair and then started to laugh. Jim joined him.

Blair crossed his arms with a huff. "Well, I'm glad you think it's funny."

"Oh, come on, Chief," Jim cajoled, trying to make the younger man see the humor in the situation.

"It's never good to lose your weapon, Blair," Simon said more seriously. "But at least you did it with style, unlike your partner here," he finished wickedly.

Jim snorted, but saw Blair's small grin and reached out to ruffle the dark curls. Blair's arm shot up and blocked the attack. Jim snatched his hand back in surprise.

"Not the hair man," Blair teased. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

Simon chuckled at the astonished look on Jim's face.

The look was quickly replaced by serious consideration. "Well, I've been told I'm rather hard-headed when it comes to certain things. This may be one of them," he replied soberly as he stood and turned to leave.

"Jim?" Blair called out, jumping up out of his own chair to catch up to his partner.

Jim spun around and using both hands ruffled Blair's hair several times then bolted out the door and across the bullpen. Laughter trailed after him.

"JIM!" Sandburg yelled, giving chase. "Not the hair!"

Simon chuckled and sat down as he pulled out a cigar. He sniffed the stogie and closed his eyes to savor the aroma and the comforting knowledge that all was back to normal in Cascade.

The End.

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